


A Girl and Her Fox

by Doctor Stupid (Mandy_Rose)



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Rewrite, Canon-Typical Behavior, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, F/M, Female Uzumaki Naruto, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, He gets better, I wrote this in grade ten, Kyuubi | Nine-tails | Kurama & Uzumaki Naruto Friendship, Minor Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, One-Sided Attraction, Protective Kyuubi | Nine-tails | Kurama, Sasuke is fucked, Slow Burn, Smart Uzumaki Naruto, Tags Are Hard, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto Friendship, a little gay, from me and the characters, ish, teenage edge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:07:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 123,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22338997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mandy_Rose/pseuds/Doctor%20Stupid
Summary: Naruto was not your average girl, as cliche as that seemed to sound.She didn't like flowers or makeup or dresses, and she certainly didn't care about what some stupid boys thought about her. She had peculiar tastes, or at least that's what most people told her. It was slightly true, at least, because, for the oddest of reasons, she thought the demon fox living inside of her was adorable. He kind of hated it- but he didn’t hate her, at the very least.That's why they were friends, after all. She wasn't afraid of him, and he didn't hate her. They were the only ones in the world to support each other, and that's how they liked it.Until Naruto found new friends, that was.Now her life is a tangle of friendships and romances and betrayal. Kurama didn't even her to become a Genin in the first place- but here she was, taking the Shinobi world by storm, Jinhcuuriki style! If only she didn't have to worry about pretty girls and prettier boys. Oh, and the looming threat of the Akatsuki, as well.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 237
Kudos: 722





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Welcome to one of my graveyard fics! AKA, I/m sitting on about 500,000+ words of Fanfiction and I finally decided to post a few of the stories that I think are... well, not terrible. This one is cutting the edge between good-and-terrible, but hey, I wrote this three years ago before I knew what a comma-splice was... what's a girl to do?
> 
> Notes:  
> \- The formatting is designed in the way actually novels are formatted, y'know, to save paper for print. I am not going through and reformatting my stories to better suit Ao3. Sorry.  
> \- This is not Beta read. In fact, nothing I have ever written is Beta read. This happens to be one of my more edited stories- but it's probably still STEAMING with typos and grammatical errors. If anyone is actually interested in editing it, you are most welcome. :)  
> \- Not that this is an original concept or anything, but feel free to adopt the story/use the premise all you wish~!
> 
> Thanks. I won't bother you guys with long author notes anymore. :)
> 
> Beta Read by holy_roller_novocaine! <3

She first met him when she was seven.

Exactly seven, mind you, since it was her birthday. October tenth. The anniversary of the legendary Kyuubi Attack that had happened… exactly seven years ago. When she was born. 

She supposed that was the first clue. Not that she ever picked it up, but hey, she was more of…  _ kin… set  _ … whatever-that-world-was-person, anyways. Maybe somebody smart like Shikamaru or Sakura would have figured it out way sooner. But not her.

She had to meet him to do that.

And she did.

It was storming that night. She had been alone in her small apartment- confused and terrified. It was a birthday present from Jiji; he’d said something about the orphanage, where those mean ladies looked after her when he had given her the key. She didn't care. Anything to be away from them. 

But then, she supposed, she would have been lonely.

She already was, but at least the other kids would celebrate her birthday with her the day before the Kyuubi Anniversary. They’d have cake and balloons and then they’d play hide-and-seek in the backyard of the building, and Naruto was always found last because she was the  _ best  _ at games.

But now she was alone. Curled up in her bed- too stiff and new to really be comfortable. The blankets smelled like laundry detergent, but it was different from the kind she was used to and made her nose all crinkled.  _ Foreign  _ . 

**_Dangerous._ **

She closed her eyes. Sometimes if she did it long enough then she could force herself to sleep. Thunder boomed, and lightning flashed, and the pitter-patter of rain washed the complete silence of mourning that the city went through year after year.

_ Plink. _

She didn’t notice the absence of the rain until that one drop fell. She blinked her bright azure eyes open… and… that wasn't the smooth wooden ceiling of the apartment. It looked… almost like brick. Only it had a weird, swirly pattern that she didn’t think was possible. At least not for normal brick. But maybe for some super-duper brick?

Whatever she was laying on was definitely  _ not  _ a bed. It was cold and damp and sunk into the flimsy fabric of her pale-blue nightgown. She blinked again, pushing herself up as her fingers curled  _ into  _ whatever was below her.

Huh.

Water?

It seemed impossible, but when she looked down she saw nothing but foggy water- with a thick layer of bricks hidden just below the surface. Warm air suddenly tickled at her face and pushed around her long blonde locks and… ew! It kind of smelled!

She looked up-

Bars. Like a prison cell. Only… they were thicker than her! And the gaps between them were definitely big enough for her to slip through, and then some! Maybe even Choji would be able to fit!

She clumsily got to her feet, almost not trusting the strange water-surface to hold her weight, and was only slightly disappointed when her feet still sunk halfway in. It was better than drowning. She never learned how to swim.

Naruto stumbled forward, towards those glistening golden bars. The warm breath came again and left just as quickly- in steady beats that matched the rhythm of her heart. Breathing?

Was… was she dreaming? She had to have been. People didn’t just… walk on water! That wasn’t possible! Or- well, Naruto thought maybe she had seen a ninja do that before… but she wasn't a ninja! Yet. She was going to be starting the academy in the spring!

_ Then she’d show everyone just how great she was. _

But for now… she had to deal with whatever crazy dream this was.

“H-hello?”

Normally Naruto Uzumaki wasn't known for being a stupid stutter-er… but something just seemed… weird about this place. Not dangerous, per se… but still weird. It made her nervous. On edge. But _ not scared.  _ Because Naruto was tough, even if she was a girl. She didn’t get scared!

So, naturally, she confidently walked into the cage-like she owned the place.

And promptly fell on her butt.

Staring down at her was the largest pair of eyes she had ever seen. Bright, glowing, bloody, cat-slitted eyes. They blinked. Warm, stinky breath tickled her face. She coughed.

The silence was almost… awkward.

She shuffled, pulling herself to her feet because, again, she was Naruto Uzumaki. The toughest girl in the world- believe it! And no pair of eyes, no matter how large, were big enough to scare her!

The breath came out once more, in a concentrated, heavy stream. And, once more, she fell on her ass. Er- _ butt _ . Jiji always got mad when she swore. It wasn’t… “ladylike”. But, like,  _ she  _ wasn't lady-like.

“Hello?” she asked again, more confident despite the fall. She stared right up at those ruby red eyes, puffing out her cheeks, “I can see yer eyes, y’know. It’s not like yer invisible.”

Something changed in those eyes. She wasn't exactly sure- but she could just… feel it. The shift.

**“It's been a long time since a human has dared speak to me in such a way.”**

She stuck out her tongue- not in mocking, but in concentration 

“Human?” she parroted, “what’re  _ ya  _ , then?”

The eyes shifted once more, and suddenly some of the darkness on the other side of the bars peeled away, showcasing a large… fox head. Huh. Of all the things to expect, she didn’t think that was one of them.

He was huge, that was for sure. The warm air that still leaked out and onto her face was more clearly coming from his big-ol’ nose. His eyes were clearer now, with a pattern of black fur around them, moving up to the tips of his ears.

“Fluffy,” she said, staring at him.

He was a little bit scary.

But he was also a little bit… cute.

Those huge, floppy ears… lil whiskers…

If it wasn't for those weird people-hands and the grumpy look on his face he'd be a real cutie, she thought. Well… he was still pretty cute. To her, at least. She thought maybe those other girls in her class, the real flowery ones like Sakura and Ino, probably wouldn't like him. But  _ she  _ did.

_ He… kind of had a  _ charm  _ to him. _

“Can I pet you?” she continued, noticing how he just stared at her with this weird expression, not saying anything.

**“No,”** Came the instant rejection.

She frowned, a tad hurt… but not too much. He seemed rather grumpy, after all.

“Okay,” she said, watching him. She shifted, moving to sit cross-legged just outside of the bars, outside of the fox’s reach. He didn’t seem very comfortable with her.

“I, uh, I’m Naruto Uzumaki,” she said, grinning up at him, trying to wash away her slight fear, “what's your name?”

The fox narrowed its eyes. It shifted. The darkness moved and peeled and suddenly she had a better view of him in his entirety. Nine lazily swinging tails laid behind him, almost warning her to leave.

Nine tails. On a fox.

_ Oh.  _

She knew who he was.

Naruto would be lying if she said she hadn’t felt a spike of fear at that realization- and suddenly she was very glad she had decided to sit  _ outside  _ of the bars, rather than in. Still, she didn’t move. She just kept staring at him, eyes wide, hands frozen in their outstretched positions from when she wanted to pet him.

**“You’re afraid,”** the fox finally said, his voice a low baritone that rumbled through the air. It left almost…  _ satisfying  _ feeling in her, deep in her bones. Like she could feel his  _ power. _

She shuffled where she was sitting just a bit, annoyed as the cool water of the… sewer, it looked like, soaked into her nightgown. “A little,” she said, honestly, “but I also think yer a lil cute.”

The fox shifted, he had, dare she say, a  _ surprised  _ look on his face.

**“You’re a peculiar human,”** it cautiously, delicately stated, as if holding something back.

Naruto grinned, “Thanks.” Despite knowing it wasn't much of a compliment, “I get that a lot.” enough so that it stopped bothering her a long time ago. 

The fox snorted, but didn’t respond to what she had said. He didn’t seem… very keen on talking to her all really. Which was weird, because she almost expected something  _ bad  _ like the Kyuubi no Kitsune to be hurling death threats at her.

But… he wasn’t bad, was he?

_ Plink. _

That pipe was annoying. She looked around- but didn’t find any. She blinked, pursing her lips.

“Wait…”

She stared down at the water she was sitting on. She sniffed, but couldn't smell anything. She looked up at the fox, giving him a hard stare. He looked back at her, but she couldn't read exactly what it was in his eyes. This… this  _ was  _ a sewer, wasn’t it?! Did the fox know exactly what people put into sewers?

“Is this…” she stood up, suddenly horrified, “is this your **_pee_** ?” she screamed, pointing down to the liquid.

The fox stared at her with bulging eyes. Then turned away- his paw moving to… cover his mouth? Was he hiding a smile?!

**“Idiotic human…”**

Silence.

Silence for a long while. Naruto was starting to feel stupid for the pee question--but it was important! If she was standing in pee, then she’d like to know, thank you very much! But, considering his reaction… it probably wasn't pee.

“Hey, where are we?” she finally decided on asking, leaving the previous question for later. She didn’t need to deal with many troublesome things if it were just a dream. Or, well, that’s probably what Shikamaru would say.

**“Your mindscape.”**

“Uh…” she hummed, rocking slightly, “what's a… mind-thing?”

The fox sighed, and he got this look in his eye that reminded him of Jiji.  **“I don’t have the time to be entertaining pitiful humans. Either release my seal or leave.”**

She cocked her head to the side, very much not wanting to take the ‘leave; option, “Seal? Wha..?”

The fox grinned at her in a tricky, conniving sort of way. Naruto pouted but still followed along with her eyes as the fox gestured towards a large, ji-covered slip of paper on the bars. Funnily enough, it only held the single, simple word of ‘seal’. 

Oh. How did she miss that?

“What would releasing it do?” she asked, climbing to her feet and looking at it curiously, “And, uh, how do I do that?” she reached out her hand… but she was several meters short of even reaching the closest corner of the page.

The fox seemed a little surprised at her suddenly helpful attitude,  **“Releasing it would set me free from this cage,”** he answered quickly,  **“All you would need to do is tear off the paper, little human.”**

She frowned at being called little, but didn’t let that distract her, “aren’t you… supposed to be in that cage? I mean, only  _ bad guys  _ are in cages. And, uh, I heard a story about you attacking the village and all… which kind of seems bad, to me.”

The fox frowned… well, he frowned as much as he physically could,  **“You were tricked, little human. Those stories are… false.”**

She walked a little closer to the bars, cocking her head, “What's the real story then, mister?”

The demon’s eyebrow- or where his eyebrow would have been, if he were human twitched,  **“Mister?”**

She laughed, “I don't know your name… so you’re a mister!” She blinked, “Unless… you’re a missus?”

**“Fine. Mister.”** The fox grumbled angrily, offended at the idea that he could ever be a  _ girl,  _ which Naruto thought was stupid because she was a girl… and she was still super cool! The coolest in her class, even! Especially Sasuke, she was cooler than that stupid Sasuke!

The fox settled, looking particularly bored as he inspected his long, sharp talons. Naruto flinched slightly when they gleaned menacingly in the low-light of the… “mindscape”, and the fox sent her a wry grin.

**“How about a trade, little human? I will tell you my story, and in return, you will undo the seal.”**

Hmm. Well- it wasn’t the worst trade, Naruto supposed. She crossed her arms.

“How ‘bout I listen to your story, and if ya don’t sound evil  _ then  _ I’ll take off the paper?”

The fox chuckled.  **“I suppose. Then, I will tell you my tale. I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the strongest and wisest of my kind. I was regarded as a beast by all of the five nations, and many sought me for their own gain. To use me as a weapon. The most disgusting of the humans who wished for my power were those known as the… Uchiha.”**

“Uchiha…” Naruto parroted. Her eyebrows knitted together… She knew that name. She…

Oh.

That was stupid-Sasuke’s last name. But, there was something else she remembered…

“They’re dead,” she quietly said, catching the fox’s eye.

**“What?”** he inched closer to the bars, claws sticking out, dangerously close to reaching Naruto. She didn't move.

“Yeah. Somebody killed them last year. Stupid-Sasuke wasn't in class for a whole  _ month  _ ! I asked Jiji about it, but he said it wasn’t something kids like me should know,” she crossed her arms and pouted.

**“Sasuke? So an Uchiha welp is still alive?”**

Naruto nodded.

**“Only more reason for me to be released. That cursed eye must be ceased.”**

That was a point for the ‘bad guy’ team- since as much as Naruto hated stupid-Sasuke, she didn't want him to get… killed. That just… it wasn't a good thing!

“What's so bad about them, anyway?”

**“That cursed eye, the Sharingan, has the ability to control me. It bends my will, moves my body, and erases my mind. And the man who found my weakness, Uchiha Madara… he considers me nothing more than a weapon. A slave to be used to his will. It is because of that eye that I attacked this cursed village, Konoha, before being sealed within you.”**

“Oh! So… that means ya didn't want to?” that would give him a good point! She grinned at the thought… because she didn’t like people just assuming if something was good or bad right away.

Because that was what everyone did to her. And she didn’t like it! And- and Jiji always said that she should follow the golden rule!

The fox heavily rested his head against his front paw-hands, closing his eyes. They opened again, a second later, and he blew out a large breath, **“It seems it’s time for our conversation to end.”**

She blinked, opening her mouth to question what he was talking about, but she felt like she was being pulled away by something. The fox and it’s cage were soon cast over by shadow and suddenly the world went dark.

She woke up to a loud strike of thunder. It was raining, as it always seemed to be, on her birthday. More thunder. Funny, she didn’t hear any raindrops. She quickly pushed herself up from her bed and peered out the window…

It wasn’t raining. 

Then… why was she hearing thunder- three strikes in a row? 

But then she realized that thunder didn’t  _ do that-  _ and that the booming was instead coming from her doorway. She anxiously hopped from her mattress and climbed over to the little mat covered in sandals and sneakers, flinching backward as more slams on the door rang out, bursting at the door and pushing at the hinges. A drunken shot rang through the hallways. Then she heard more voices, several voices, and nearly started crying.

Naruto was quick, her feet near-silent as they padded against dusty wooden floors as she hauled herself into the bathroom, which was the only room in her apartment aside from the front door that could lock. She turned the little knob and bundled herself into the bathtub, careful not to cry and ready to wait out the storm.

Why did this always happen on her birthday?

_ Why was she always alone? _

Suddenly, Naruto felt a warm little brush of  _ something  _ in her stomach. Strangely, it made her feel better. She hugged her abdomen, relaxing. The little warm sensation returned, tickling, and she gave herself a little smile as the image of a lazy fox flooded her mind.

Maybe she wasn’t alone, after all?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by holy_roller_novocaine!!

The academy was kind of the worst thing in the world. Last year hadn't been too bad, but that was when she was still in the civilian classes. After her birthday last year… she asked Jijin if she could be moved to the full-shinobi classes. Some of the kids were the same, like Sasuke and Shikamaru and Ino… 

All the other kids, as they normally tended to do, avoided her like she was the black plague. They all started and whispered and made fun of her when she answered a question wrong- but how the hell was she supposed to know who their neighboring country was?! She wasn't a… map maker, or something!

She heard a chuckle.

Naruto looked over her shoulder, eyeing the alleyways and streets from where she was walking home, her bright-orange backpack straps clutched in her hands. She pursed her lips and reached towards the front pouch, where her practice kunai were being held. They were dull and too heavy and she didn't know how to properly hold them, but they were better than her fists.

The chuckle grew slightly louder- but it had this echo effect to it, almost like it wasn't even  _ real.  _ She blinked, a little woozy, thinking maybe… was she going crazy? Or-

Her eyes widened as she recognized the vice.

“Mister?” she asked aloud, looking around, confused and startled, but at least pulling away without a kunai. 

**_“There's no need to speak out loud, brat,”_ **

She bristled at the name, but closed her mouth anyways. How should she talk to him, then?

Another chuckle,  **_“You’re more idiotic than I expected,”_ ** the fox said, but for some reason, he didn't make it sound like a bad thing,  **_“speak in your mind.”_ **

_ “Oh,”  _ she said, using the weird mind-voice that she did sometimes to complain or to laugh at somebody without them hearing. The fox could hear it?

**_“Yes. Now, go to your apartment.”_ **

She did--not because he was telling her to. Because Uzumaki Naruto took orders from nobody! But because she was already on her way there, The door was rusty, the hinges squeaking loudly when she closed it, but she felt safe and alone when she flicked the lock and shrugged off her book bag. It was filled with homework. Gross. It was only the first day!

She walked into the middle of her living room, unsure of what to do.

**_“Come back to the seal.”_ **

Naruto pursed her lips. The seal was… that sewer-like place, wasn't it? Where the fox was. But, there was just one problem…

_ “Uh, mister, I don’t really know how to get there.” _

The fox huffed in her mind and she felt the little swirl of air. It was like… that feeling when you were half-asleep and you kind of started dreaming. Like, you knew that you were laying in bed trying to sleep, but you also recognized that  _ other  _ things were happening in your mind. 

Naruto scrunched up her nose and decided she didn't really like the feeling--it was all weird and warbled and distracting. But it wasn't the worst thing in the world. 

**_“Sit on your bed and close your eyes.”_ **

He seemed to be instructing her on how to go to the seal, and Naruto obliged...  _ again _ , not because she was taking orders, but because she  _ wanted  _ to talk to him. He was interesting and  _ cute  _ and she liked him. Even if he was grumpy. 

She sat on her bed and crossed her legs, easing into the position. She tucked her hands into the cross of her legs, stopping her fingers from twitching as she closed her eyes.

_ “What now?” _

**_“Relax. Think of where you were the last time we talked. Think of coming here.”_ **

Her brow furrowed because she was  _ bad at thinking-  _ and this all seemed really boring, but she tried her best, anyways. She sucked in a deep breath and thought about water lapping at her ankles and leaky pipes and brick walls. She thought about the fox’s eyes and his stinky breath and the shiny bars that kept them separate.

Then she thought about the golden rule, and how he said he didn’t want to attack the village. About how he sounded really sad and was probably really lonely. She thought about his cute whiskers and his big ears and how fluffy his fur looked and how much she wanted to pet it-

And she thought about how she wanted to be friends with him.

Something was bubbling up from ner stomach and under her skin. It was hot and itchy and uncomfortable and she didn't like the feeling of it all- it was sizzling away in her blood, like  _ acid.  _ She hissed- but a weird prodding at the back of her skull told her to hold it, to continue thinking of where she wanted to go. 

Mentally, the image of the sewer tugged to her mind. Then the sizzling beneath her skin pulled at her body.

Then suddenly she was in that half-asleep state, falling, splashing. Darkness consumed her for a second, and when she blinked her eyes she was sitting in water. She was far away, this time, with doors to leading to blackness, and sprawling pipes all around her. She lifted herself to her feet and walked forward, somehow instinctively  _ knowing  _ that if she walked this way she was bound to run into him eventually.

And eventually she did. The big golden bars came into view, with the paper that had the fancy ink word ‘seal’ written on top of it. She started running, a big old smile on her face as she stopped just outside of the bars, toeing at the line of shadow but never really crossing it into the fox’s domain.

“Mister?”

Ruby red eyes shone in the dark, flickering to life as the fox came fully into view. He was sitting on his stomach, like a dog, with his pawpaws neatly in front of him and his head up, staring down at her.

She smiled and waved. “Hi! I’m Uzumaki Naruto and I like ramen!”

**“I am aware of who you are,”** the fox said, an annoyed look crossing his face.

She crossed her arms, “But I don’t know who  _ you  _ are, and that's just unfair! So I’m gonna keep introducing myself to you, until you do it back!”

The fox ignored her, raising a hand-like paw, and pointing one of the short digits towards the paper.  **“I have brought you here to remove the seal.”**

She pouted, having completely forgotten about that little arrangement. She marched forward, staring up at the paper. What was her point total, again? Two good, one bad? She hummed at the thought.

She reached up at the paper, as if despite the distance she could grab at the edge and pull it away all in one swoop. Her fingers closed around stale, moist air, and she frowned.

She turned to the fox and eyed him. Not suspiciously, but more so curiously. 

“What’ll happen if I do?”

The fox hummed, changing his position to lazily rest his head against the heel of his palm. He looked almost like Sasuke, with the way he was doing that. She snorted at the thought.

The fix narrowed his eyes at her,  **“I can hear your thoughts,”** he said, plainly.

Naruto blushed- not from the Sasuke comment, since that was  _ funny,  _ from the thoughts she had… earlier… about…

Her face went red and the fox gave a low, baritone chuckle,  **“A human befriending a Bijuu?”** the fox snorted, looking away from her, eyes going distant,  **“It’s not as if I am that idiotic bovine.”**

She didn’t know what he was talking about, but she thought, maybe, she heard a bit of pride in his voice. And… something else, too. Something she couldn’t identify.

“What a… bovine?”

The fox snorted and looked down at her, " **A cow,”** he said, only a second later for a grumpy look to pass on his face… almost as if he wasn’t even sure why he was telling her such things.

**“Remove the seal,”** he stubbornly demanded.

“I wanna know more about it,” she replied just as stubbornly.

The fox sighed,  **“If you remove the seal I will be set free** . **"** Naruto frowned, because he was talking in that way adults always did, the way that said he was purposefully not telling her things.

“I already know that,” she said, quickly, riled up, “You won't attack the village, will you? You won’t hurt me or my friends, will you?”

The fox seemed to still be at that, and aha! He had been caught in the act! Naruto grinned, opening her mouth to call him out on it-

**“What friends?”**

That stung. 

She took a step back and moved her head to the side, acting as if she was looking at the seal, “...For somebody so cute… you’re really  _ mean _ .”

She snuck a glance at the fox and saw him looking at her strangely, gruffly.

**“Stop with this ridiculous notion of me being cute, human. I am the most feared demon on the planet!”**

The sting from the insult faded away rather quickly when she saw him  _ pouting?  _ Had she, Uzumaki Naruto, managed to make the ‘most feared demon on the planet’ pout?!

The look that flashed on the fox’s face--outrage, offense--seemed to indicate that he was still listening to her thoughts. Creepy, but worth it.

“What's with those cute little whiskers, then?!” She asked, mouth curling into a teasing smile, “or your little paws?”

The fox flexed its paws, which were stubby digits that had large claws on them. To anyone else, maybe, they would be terrifying. To Uzumaki Naruto, they were adorable. Like a kitten. The sharpness only managed to bring that fact further home, because even adorable little kitties had claws.

“I mean-” she changed topics, not liking how bloody angry the fox looked now. Pouty and hilariously-offended,  _ good  _ . Angry,  _ bad  _ . “I think we’d be great friends! I’m the friendliest girl around!”

There was something in his eyes, something along the lines of  _ then explain why you have none-  _ but he didn't say it. And that, she thought, was a point in the good-guy category. 

**“We will be friends when you release the seal.”** Again, he seemed to be holding something back from her.

She didn't like the edge of hidden-intent there, but she still relented with a soft smile.

“M’kay.”

Maybe she was being stupid, maybe she didn't know what she was getting herself into, and _maybe_ she didn't fully understand just who she was talking to… but for some reason, she thought, _maybe_ , there was some good in this ‘demon’. And, **_maybe_** , he would live up to his word.

She waddled over to the cage, pressed right up between the bars where the fox had full ease to do whatever he would to her, and she grinned, “Imma need a lift.”

A large paw-like hand came over and held open it’s palm. She looked at it with mild distrust- thinking that the palm would be capable of squeezing her into tooth-paste in a matter of seconds, and she saw the glint in those ruby red eyes and the flash of teeth in a not-quite-smile that erupted at the thought. Still, she put herself out there and stepped onto the palm.

Because…

Because what he had said earlier was true, Naruto didn’t have any friends. She didn't have any family or friends, nobody who cared about her, except for Jiji who she saw  _ maybe  _ once a month. Then this fox stumbled into her life and offered his friendship and… really, the only thing she could do was give a part of herself in return.

The palm didn’t squish her, but instead lifted her up, just as promised. They weren't close enough to reach the seal, and so the fox did all it could and extended it’s finger, letting her climb on it like a bridge and towards the paper. She grasped the corner, it crinkled up in her hand.

And  _ tugged  _ . 

A flash of pain -  _ hot  _ \-  _ stinging  _ \-  _ electric  _ \-  **_lava_ ** \- erupted in her stomach with all the force of a typhoon and suddenly all of her attention was thrown towards the source of the pain. She wrapped her hands around her abdomen--her mind flashed to a lonely night of drunken cursing, hidden away in the bathtub--and she  _ screamed,  _ guttural and forced, tearing at her throat.

The hand below her tried to do something as she fell- but all she knew was that the air was whistling all around her and suddenly her head was dunked underwater. She didn't breathe. She didn’t need to. This was her mind and she was safe here - she was  _ supposed  _ to be safe here.

Her head bubbled up to the surface and her awareness slowly came back as the horrible, crunching, guttural pain subsided into a regretful twinge. Still holding her stomach, she pushed herself up. 

The cage had sunken completely into darkness. The fox was nowhere to be seen.

Still, Naruto felt a grim determination as she pushed herself to her feet, holding one hand against the bars.

“We’ll try again tomorrow,” she said, eyes sharp, casting into a darkness she had no hope of seeing into, “I  _ will  _ get that seal off, eventually. That's a promise, and I never break my promises to my  **friends** .”

The sewer shifted back into her bedroom, and she found she had fallen to the side of her bed, clutching her stomach and hissing in pain as ink, midnight black, swirled into existence, tattooed along her skin despite never being there before.

And she swore, she felt something shift in the darkness of the cage.

\---

The school bell rang. Naruto shuffled inside the classroom, just barely making it on time. Her teacher, Iruka-sensei, didn’t look too pleased with her behavior, but since she  _ technically  _ didn't break any rules, he couldn't scold her. She giggled, running up and slamming herself down in the nearest seat, ignoring Iruka-sensei’s hard gaze.

She plopped down her bookbag, barely looking at whoever it was beside her before she simply plopped down into her seat. Her head turned, and-

Crap.

She had sat down next to  _ Sasuke _ ... her least favourite person in the class. Okay, so maybe she hadn't ever really had a proper conversation with the boy to know him well, but he was pretty much her foil. Everybody loved him. He was talented, smart, and all the teachers and girls in class doted on him like he was some perfect being.

She stuck her tongue out at him and he  _ huffed,  _ ignoring her to the fullest his ability. She wiggled in her seat as she pulled out the homework that she  _ didn’t do,  _ and set it down on the table.

Iruka-sensei started waltzing through the classroom, checking over everybody's paper. Naruto eyed Sasuke’s picture-perfect handwriting all neatly put down on the page. Every question answered. She stuck out her tongue and quickly began copying down half-registered notes about Fire Country and some of the surrounding nations.

A throat cleared.

She didn’t notice that the room had gone unusually silent until it cleared for a second time and a shadow was cast over the desk, making it harder for her to pick up the words she was copying. She froze, pencil dropping.

“Naruto-chan, may I ask what you’re doing?”

She looked up, sweating. There, standing above her with all the menace of the grim reaper, was Iruka-sensei. He had this kind of smile on his face, one that meant she was in  _ big trouble. _

“U-uh,” she wiggled, quickly thinking of a lie, “I… I was filling out the questions.”

“Yourself?”

She nodded.

Iruka-sensei didn’t look convinced, “Because, you know, Naruto-chan, it looked to me like you were copying from Sasuke-kun’s homework.”

Sasuke’s eyes bore into her own, and boy did he look mighty offended. Her cheeks went red and she stuck out her tongue in indignation, crossing her arms.

“Nu-uh! I was filling out the answers on my own, that's all!”

Iruka-sensei picked up her paper, eyeing it, “Can you tell me which country has the Raikage as the head of their village?”

She paused, blinking. “Uuuuh,” she drew out, stalling for time. Her eyes searched the rest of her classmates in the vein, nobody was willing to whisper out an answer. In fact, they all seemed to revel in her getting in trouble. A boy with… a dog (was that even allowed?!) snickered and leaned over to whisper to his friend with a spiky, pineapple shaped ponytail. 

“You don't know?”

She blushed and shook her head.

“Because right here you wrote down the Lightning Village, which is correct. I’m surprised that you knew this earlier, and don’t know it now.”

Busted.

Naruto winced as Iruka-sensei glared at her. He yelled a bit, telling her that she was being irresponsible and that if she wanted to get good marks in class then she'd have to pay attention and do all her homework. She nodded, not really listening, because who needed to do homework when all ninjas did was fight? But when the topic came up of her staying after school for detention, she was all ears, whining in resentment.

“That's not fair!” she yelped.

“It's not fair that all the other students had to do their homework and you didn’t, Naruto-chan. So you’ll stay after school with me until you finish it.”

She crossed her arms and pouted but didn’t argue anymore, not with the entire class laughing at her like she was stupid. Which she wasn't! She was just busy talking to the fox yesterday- and -  _ and-  _ she bet that nobody else here had a fox like her! They could  _ suck it  _ !

Iruka-sensei moved on, going over to the chalkboard where he started writing down the answers to the homework, which Naruto saw a few people diligently copying down. She stuck her tongue out at them; it wasn't fair that she got in trouble for not doing the homework and they didn’t!

Sasuke gave her a weird look, one that almost said he was  _ laughing  _ at her when he watched her copying down her notes. She bristled, ignoring him.

**_“This is why I hate Uchiha,”_ ** The fox suddenly pitched in, making her feel all warm and fuzzy. 

She couldn't help but agree.

\--

The class ended without any more problems. Naruto had to stay after class, but since she had already copied down most of the answers from the board there wasn’t much for her to do. Iruka-sensei made her go over the sheet and then made her say that she was sorry, that she wouldn't do it again, and that she understood the importance of doing her homework.

(Naruto had her fingers crossed behind her back.)

She was skipping out of the room in a matter of minutes, humming a little tune to celebrate her freedom. The academy was  _ boring,  _ and  _ stupid,  _ and she just wanted to be a ninja, already, but Jiji said she had to do it, so she would. She heard about people graduating early, before, but all of those people were really smart and really strong and came from prestigious families that trained them on how to be a ninja on their own… and it kind of made Naruto wish that she had something like that, so she would be able to skip the Academy too. 

There was a rumble in the back of her head from the fox and Naruto took that as a sign to hurry home. Once she had deposited her backpack on the floor, he spoke.

**_“Come to the seal.”_ **

Naruto wordlessly hopped on her bed, jittering and vibrating with energy and excitement as she closed her eyes. It took longer this time, for her to get to the seal… but that was probably because she was so distracted, thinking about how she was going to visit her  _ friend,  _ and that he was super strong and would maybe teach her stuff so she could leave the Academy sooner.

**“No,”** The fox immediately said, looking down on her,  **“I don’t waste my time teaching pitiful humans.”**

“But I’m not pitiful!”

The fox didn’t say anything in response to that. Naruto felt pleased, sticking her tongue out gleefully to the demon.

“Anyways-” She took a dramatic pause, grinning, “my name is Uzumaki Naruto and I like ramen. What's yours?”

The fox stared at her, annoyed.  **“This again?”** He sounded more exasperated than anything, though.

“Until you finally cave,” she waddled up to the bars, feeling absolutely ecstatic about herself. “My perseverance is my best trait,” she stated with a wink.

**“Kurama.”**

She blinked, not really having expected a response, “What?”

**“I may be known as the Kyuubi no Kitsune, but the name given to me is Kurama.”**

Naruto blinked, then stuck out her hand, unfearing as it jutted into the darkness, “Nice to meet you!”

The fox didn’t accept the handshake, but that was okay with her. He was a cutie with an attitude. What was that called again… Tsun-something? She couldn't remember.

**“I have only told you because you… have done what I asked. And I am a fox of my word.”**

She scratched her cheek, looking up to the paper, “But the seal is still there?”

The fox huffed, saying something under its breath. Naruto gave him a look of askance but he didn’t seem keen on answering it anytime soon. 

“Do you not want the seal gone?” Naruto asked, uncertain. She had been friends with Kurama for only a day… had she already messed something up?

**“Of course, brat!”** It seemed like there was a ‘but’ coming…however, Kurama didn’t say it. The fox snorted and muttered,  **“You truly are a foolish human….”** He didn't explain further.

Naruto edged herself into the cage, not feeling at all frightened as Kurama didn't mov, watching her steadily as she came a little too close for comfort. His comfort, of course, because Naruto didn’t feel afraid. She wasn't afraid of nothing but the world running out of ramen!

She felt the enormous paw next to her tense awkwardly as she reached out. Right before her hands were about to touch it (she could feel it radiating warmth) she hesitated. Kurama had this really funny look on his face and she didn't know what it meant, but she thought maybe it was a bad thing.

But when did Uzumaki Naruto ever care about bad things? She shoved down her hesitation and reached out, gently putting her hand on the paw.

She couldn't help it, her mouth split into the largest grin she had ever had in her life.

“Fluffy!”

Kurama snorted, looking offended. He had a little quirk to his lips that Naruto helpfully didn't point out.

It was like she was holding a giant vacuum on the highest setting- that was how fast all the tension in the air was sucked away. Naruto giggled, bringing up her other hand and pressing it against the warm fur, it felt like what she imagined clouds did. Her fingers clenched, holding fistfuls of soft orange strands between her fingers and she squealed, wanting to plunge her face into it.

With a slight look to Kurama--who could read her thoughts and probably understood what she wanted--she did just that. And she learned that day that the Kyuubi no Kitsune was perhaps the best pillow in the universe. Not that she’d expect anyone to believe her, but hey, it was the thought that counted.

They stayed like that until Naruto fell asleep. She woke up in her bed feeling a little too refreshed the next morning.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> beta read by holy_roller_novocaine!! :)

School continued on like that for the next couple of months. She wanted ti to end as soon as possible cause- like, who actually liked school? But she knew it would have to go on for at least a few more years since Naruto wasn’t ‘cool’ enough to graduate early--she called bullshit on that!--but things weren’t all that bad. 

Iruka-sensei was grumpy and yelled a lot, but he was a real patient when she asked questions and tried to explain things to her nicely. She liked that; the other teachers sometimes gave her mean looks or gave her detention for no reason. Kurama said it was probably because they didn’t like  _ him _ , not her.

Kurama was actually really nice. Like, in a grumpy way, but still nice all the same. She didn’t understand why everyone hated him so much, it wasn't his fault that some mean guy made him attack the village! 

She thought that if everyone would just give him a chance…

But nobody would even give  _ her  _ a chance, Kurama once told her. She was a ‘victim’, he said. She didn’t like that word but didn’t tell Kurama that. Even so, what he said still made sense.

Naruto didn’t even have any friends. Or, well, she didn't have any  _ human  _ ones, because Kurama was the _best_ friend a girl could ask for! She’d never forget him.

But one day she had been sitting on the swings during recess and she thought, maybe that she made one. Hyuuga Hinata, the shiest, quietest girl in class--seriously, Naruto was pretty sure she’d never even heard her talk before!--came waddling over. She didn't talk to Naruto, of course not, because she hadn't even known that Naruto was there. She was hiding, Naruto thought, hiding behind the trees by the swing sets, eating her lunch alone. Naruto always ate her lunch alone too.

Naruto hopped off her swing as quietly as possible and trailed after the other girl. Hinata delicately sat herself down on her knees and opened up an expensive, professional-looking boxed-lunch. Naruto sniffed and found herself drooling.

Naruto’s sandals crunched against some leaves, and Hinata's head immediately whipped backward, eyes widening and body tensing and oh my dog, was she afraid?

Naruto forced herself to smile. “Hinata-chan?” She asked, stepping forward.

“U-uh, oh, um, Uzumaki-san, it’s just you,” the tiny girl put a hand to her chest, shaking. 

Naruto grinned for real, “Yeah! Whatcha doing back here?!”

“Oh,” Hinata’s pale eyes trailed downwards, staring at her lunch, “just… eating.”

“Why not with the other girls?”

The Hyuuga flinched. She hit a sore spot.

Naruto eagerly stepped forward, shocking Hinata out of whatever sad thoughts she had been thrown into. She sat herself down, pulling out her paper-bag lunch, filled with a juice-box and PB and J sandwich. 

“I never eat with the other kids, either. So I think maybe we should just eat together!” As if to prove her point, Naruto pulled out her sandwich and juice, chewing loudly.

Hinata’s eyes went wide and her cheeks dusted with pink, “R-really?”

Naruto just kept chewing and nodded.

They continued to eat together during lunches, hidden away by the trees and bushes at the edge of the academy field. Naruto didn't know Hinata very well, but the casual chatter and comfortable silence were enough for her. Just sitting next to another person who didn’t seem to hate her guts was enough for her.

* * *

Naruto had discovered very early into her career as an academy student that she did not like the other kids in her class, and that they vehemently returned the favour.

The worst of them all was one Uchiha Sasuke. The guy seriously had a stick up his ass, so much so that she almost thought that he  _ also  _ had some kind of demon inside of him, and that was the reason why he was always so pissed.

Kurama informed her otherwise. Only nine people in the world could hold a demon at any given time, and they were known as Jinchuuriki. She was obviously the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tails, and the adults of Konoha knew this. They thought she was actually Kurama, and that Kurama was evil, and therefore  _ she  _ was evil, despite neither of them actually being so. In their fears, the adults told their children to be cautious of her, which led to her… treatment.

Naruto didn’t mind too much. Well, maybe she minded a little… she’d always wanted to have friends- to have the  **entire** village look up to her because she was  _ super cool!  _ They just didn't know that… yet.

But she also knew that she would be fine if things didn't change. She had Kurama, who was the  _ bestest _ friend she could ever ask for, she had Hokage-Jiji, and Iruka-sensei who was strict but patient and kind and listened to her questions. She had Hinata-chan who she ate lunch with. Sometimes she sat next to Sakura-chan and Ino-chan, and the three of them would spend class together. They didn't seem too fond of Naruto, but once she told them that she was interested in Sasuke in any shape or form, they stopped treating her badly. She was just kind of… there.

And she was okay with that.

She wasn't okay with that.

She just wondered what she would do when it came time to form genin teams. The time for graduation was coming up fast- and Naruto had no particular friends outside of Kurama and Hinata-chan… nobody was allowed to know that she was friends with Kurama (the fox had warned her that they might attack her, thinking that she was ‘under his influence’, or something,) and she knew that it was very unlikely for her to be placed with Hinata-chan because genin teams always had two boys and one girl on them.

That didn’t leave her a whole lot of options. 

She kicked her feet as she sat on a little red bridge close to the academy. The water reflected up at her, showing her frown and double-chin. Naruto scrunched up her nose, which caused her whisker-marks--something she took immense pride in--to go all wavy and wrinkly on her cheeks.

Kurama’s tails flickered in her mind, calming.

**_“You want… friends?”_ **

He sounded confused. 

Naruto hummed, _ “You don’t understand, huh? Why a person would want friends.” _

**_“... I have friends.”_ **

Naruto snorted out loud, and a nearby civilian lady looked a little frightened by her. She probably knew about Kurama or something. Or maybe Naruto was just weird… that was always a very real possibility. She didn't know of anyone else who made friends with demons.

**_“There are others. The Jinchuuriki I told you about.”_ **

She blinked, in that span of closing her eye, somehow, she ended up in her seal. Kurama had this smug look on his face, and she immediately knew that he had pulled her there. 

“The others… made friends with you guys?”

Kurama closed his eyes, thinking. He shook his head a little,  **“Not like you. Many Jinchuuriki blame us for their own woes, and for the persecution of their fellow humans. Some of us Bijuu blame our Jinchuuriki for our confinement.”**

“Like you used to,” Naruto deadpanned. 

She walked up to the inside of the cage and sat on Kurama’s paw, idly stroking her fingers through the soft orange fur. Kurama didn’t react to her touch, already far used to her constant petting. It was a sign of trust, she thought.

They’d come far.

**“Indeed,”** Kurama’s voice rumbled through the seal and into Naruto’s bones. It was satisfying and warm...safe. She supposed that not many others had the chance to feel something like this.

It made her proud that she was one of the select few who were able to experience something like this. 

**“But as I said, there are others. The current generation of Jinchuuriki is unlike those before it… you are not the only one who has managed to befriend one of us.”**

She kicked her feet and looked up, craning her neck so that she could meet Kurama’s eye. He met her halfway and tilted his head downwards, before laying it atop the solid water of the seal completely. She reached out and leaned against his cheek, swirling fur around the tip of her finger like it was a strand of her own hair.

“Who?” She asked, amazed. “Maybe I could meet them…”

Kurama grinned,  **“There is one called B, the Jinchuuriki of Gyuki.”**

Gyuki… if she remembered her sparse Bijuu-lesson from Kurama correctly… then that was the eight-tails. Kurama let out a pleased rumble at her memory.

**“He and Gyuki have a bond the same as our own, and the two of them have been this way for several years. And he is not alone. Matatabi is rather fond of her Jinchuuriki, Yugito. Son Goku and Roshi work together, and Han and Kokuo have mutual respect.”**

Naruto blinked, fighting away the urge to curl up and nap, “you know a lot about the others… are you guys able to talk to each other?”

Kurama nudged her with his nose, forcing her to sit up straight,  **“We have a shared mental space that we are able to visit. I did not make a habit of going there… but recently I decided to make the trip. I learned many things.”**

“Some of us are fighting,” Naruto guessed, frowning.

**“Shukaku has gone mad. Saiken is as reserved as always, and…”** something seemed wrong. Naruto pushed herself to her feet and tried to comfortably pat Kurama’s nose. He scoffed and pushed her away.  **“Isobu is missing. He was one of the more frequent visitors to the shared space, but as of recently, has stopped connecting. We fear something has happened to him.”**

She was immediately on red-alert. Naruto opened her mouth- Kurama’s tail flickers aggressively. 

**“No.”**

“But-!”

**“No.”** Then fox’s eyes narrowed and his hand snapped out of nowhere to snag onto the back of her jacket, lifting her up by the scruff of her neck and dangling her in front of his face, as if she was about to be swallowed whole. Naruto gulped. She’d never seen Kurama this… angry…

**“It is foolish to go looking for him. His jinchuuriki is the Mizukage and is under heavy surveillance and protection. You going there would only lead to our death.”**

_ Our. _

Naruto winced. She kept forgetting that her life wasn’t really her own.

“Then what should we do?!” She hissed, squirming in the hold, she considered slipping off her jacket, but the dirty look Kurama gave her at the thought made her think otherwise. “We… we can't just do nothing! I want…”

_ I want us to be a family. _

_ Because it’s my own chance to have one. _

Kurama snorted.  **“You can come to the shared mindscape.”**

Naruto blinked, “Really-? I thought… that was only for Bijuu.”

**“And those who gain our trust. Come.”**

The seal shifted into a misty haze of nothingness, and Naruto had to fight back the urge to mentally vomit all over the paw holding her up. The world span and swam and toppled all over itself, and she supposed that literally hanging wasn't going her any favours.

Finally, she was able to see it again. There was a large campfire in the middle of a swirled, circle of light. The edges of the world were dark as if they were camping in the middle of a forbidden forest, unable to see the dangers that lurked just beyond their fire. Kurama was still holding her by the back of her jacket, something that she was thankful for, now they had company.

A Bijuu.

Her stomach dropped when Kurama set her down, and her hands immediately fisted into his fur- he froze, wanting to retract, but knowing better. 

Befriending Kurama was different. He had been locked behind a cage and a seal, and she had been nothing more than a naive child, not having known what a Bijuu  _ was. _

Now she was standing before another of these monstrous creatures, one she had no insight on. One she had no protection against. It was a hulking purple mass of muscle and horns and  _ intimidation  _ that lorded above her even more so than the Hokage Tower could _.  _ She was no chakra sensor, but she knew that even a civilian would be able to sense the sheer power falling off this demon in waves.

Naruto blinked.

And  _ smiled _ .

She immediately felt the waves of tension coming from Kurama lessen. Damn, she hadn't even noticed that the tension was  _ there _ . How used to him was she?

She raised the hand not clutching her own Bijuu and waved, a grin splitting her face, “U-uh… I’m Uzumaki Naruto! I like dogs and ramen!”

**“Dogs?”** Kurama asked, blinking. She’d never said that in her customary introduction before.

Naruto’s grin grew wider. Her lips hurt, threatening to crack or bleed or explode, but she didn't care. She just kept on grinning. She lifted herself onto her tippies toes, craning her neck as high as it physically could so that she could whisper into Kurama’s humongous ear,  _ “You’re a dog.” _

Kurama’s nail immediately clicked the back of her head, looking offended. She knew immediately what it was… that stupid Madara-guy liked calling him a dog. It hurt Kurama. It hurt him a lot.

“I love dogs. That's a compliment.”

But Naruto believed that any damage caused by someone could be erased by someone else.

And that's exactly what she was going to do.

“Foxes are canines, Kurama. And canines are dogs. So you're a  _ dog  _ .”

_ And I love ya for it. Dogs are fucking awesome. and being called one is a compliment, Kurama. Take it. _

Kurama lost his edge of hurt.

A warm chuckle rang through the air, heartful and deep and definitely  **not** Kurama. 

“She's got you there.”

They both turned, looking to the demon Naruto had so rudely introduced herself to, then promptly ignored.

“Right?!” Naruto asked, skipping forward. She now took her time to give this demon a good look, now that the initial icy-fear that had frozen her veins, and choked her spit had worn off. 

He was half-cow, half-octopus, and now she remembered Kurama talking about him in the past. The eight tails. He had a kind of smile on his face, one that was chunky, dorky, and actually pretty precious, despite his overwhelming size and bulky, human-like arms. She didn’t know why, maybe it was the cool way his tails swished around like big-old cat-tails, or the wide, circle, white eyes, but…

“I think you’re super cute!” Naruto squealed, running up even closer to him, with no fear. Or, maybe a little bit of fear, just because she didn’t know this demon very well… but hey, he couldn't be any worse than Kurama.

And he’d already befriended his own Jinchuriki! So, actually, Naruto thought he’d be pretty nice to walk to.

The demon laughed again merrily, and his large hand came over, a single finger extended, to gently pat her on the head. Kurama made a weird noise behind her, but she didn't pay him much mind.

“What's your name?” She asked, looking up at him with a grin. She already knew it was Gyuki, but it would be rude to call him that without a proper introduction. One of the first things she had learned from her own Bijuu was that they were very prickly about their names. 

**“Gyuki, I’ve heard a lot about you,”** the bijuu grinned, giving her a thumbs up,  **“to think that a human actually managed to befriend Kurama!? We didn't know what to believe at first!”**

Naruto put her hand on her hips and gave a grin that would put Might Guy to shame, “Well you better believe it! I’m Uzumaki Naruto, and I’m the best Jinchuuriki in the world!”

“Oh? Oh? A challenger decides to approach, well, oh, I better reproach!"

This was a new voice, a weird one with a deep rasp to it and a thing for rhyming.

A man slammed down to the ground of the mutual mindscape, and the flames of the campfire flickered eagerly. He put a single hand on his hip, while the other pointed out at her, straight as an arrow and rather startling.

“Anyone who dares challenge Killer B better get ready to be squashed like a cockroach!”

“Heh?”

‘Killer B’ (if that was a name) stared at her for a second, though she couldn’t tell exactly what was going on with his eyes because he was wearing sunglasses.

“Oh. Miss Nine is here, which makes everything fine. You have such youth, I can't believe it’s the truth!”

Did he always talk like this? One look at an unconcerned Gyuki and an annoyed Kurama told her that, yes, this man always spoke in rhymes. For some reason. Was he… a poet, something?

“Yeah. I’m young. Deal with it!” She huffed, crossing her arms in defence against the social-threat. 

Killer B put up his hands in mock surrender, “No need for offence, B had just been living in suspense. To think someone so young could be among us who befriend the trend.”

“Kurama’s grumpy, but he's not a bad guy,” Naruto easily said, her eyes flickering between B and Gyuki, “probably the same for you guys, I’d assume.”

Gyuki nodded,  **“we had a rough start… but B was persistent enough to wear me down.”**

Kurama huffed and Naruto turned her head to look at him, sneering, “Don’t act like that didn't happen to you.”

Kurama flicked her again, and she nearly fell down. She stuck her tongue out at the demon, hissing, just as another presence made itself known.

A woman, blonde and tall with a graceful, feline sway of her hips as she walked, appeared out of the thin blackness. Behind her was a cat… made of fire. Two beautiful glowing blue tails swished lazily behind it.

Naruto smiled. “A kitty!”

Both the blonde lady and the Bijuu behind her looked offended. 

“Nii Yugito,” B noted, crossing his arms and giving her a respectful nod, “Just the cat I was looking to see. Come, meet the little nine-tailed mosquito.”

Naruto rolled her eyes, that was a forced rhyme if there ever was. “Hey!” Plus, it was an insult, “you calling me short?!”

B waved his hand at her as if swatting a fly. Naruto hissed.

“So you’re the one who tamed the nine-tails,” Yugito, the woman, commented, looking down at Naruto with cold brown eyes. “I expected you to be… older.”

“That's what he said,” She grumpily stated, pointing her chin at B as the man said something to Gyuki. “And for the record, I didn’t  _ tame  _ anybody. Kurama was already a good guy, he's just got a bad reputation,” She said sternly, crossing her arms and  _ not  _ pouting. Uzumaki Naruto didn't pout, thank you very much.

Yugito didn’t look impressed. Naruto didn’t feel impressed, but she still tipped her chin and held out her hand.

“Uzumaki Naruto. I like dogs and ramen.”

Yugito took it after a moment of thought, “Nii Yugito.” 

“Aren't gonna say what you like?”

Yugito ripped her hand away, annoyed. ' _ Not to you! _ ' seemed to be the answer, but the thoughtful seeming woman didn't say that; she held her cards close to her chest.

Naruto would break her before long. She did with Kurama, and she could do it with anyone else- she was confident!

“That's not a way for Jinchuuriki to meet,” B stepped in, holding out his fist in anticipation for… something, “We Jinchuuriki have our own greet!” He explained, pounding his fists together, showing her how it was done.

Yugito rolled her eyes at the horrible rhyme and gave him a half-hearted fistbump, showing that she had long since given into the tradition. Naruto eagerly joined in afterwards, doing it to both humans and then to Gyuki, who actually seemed to rather enjoy the action. Next was the cat. It looked down on her with two discoloured eyes, one blue and one green, and sniffed with its itty-bitty nose.

Naruto blushed.

“You’re… even cuter than Kurama. I didn't think that was possible!” she squealed in awe, rushing forward.

The cat looked up at its fellow Bijuu, there must have been some secret code or look something that passed between the three of them, but she seemed to just accept it for what it was. Kurama chuckled.

Matatabi held out a paw in a gesture, not unlike the others, and Naruto eagerly fist-bumped it.

**“I am known as Matatabi. It is a pleasure to meet you, kitten,”** She said, her voice light and graceful, with a cat-like drawl. Naruto decided that Matatabi  _ definitely  _ was the cutest Bijuu by far.

She didn’t notice the little twinge of jealousy that Kurama gave off. Gyuki chuckled and Kurama swatted him with a tail


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi.  
> I kind of change between the English and Japanese names for jutsu... uh, probably because I switched between the dub and the sub when I watched the original series- so, uh, here ya go. Hope nobody minds. :)
> 
> beta read by holy_roller_novocaine!! :)

Meeting other Jinchuuriki was interesting, Naruto thought. She swung her legs lazily in her desk at the academy, only half-listening to whatever Iruka-sensei was spouting on about. Something about the genin exams, they were coming up fast. A little too fast. It felt like she had only just been enrolled in the academy days ago, but really, years had passed.

She turned twelve a few months ago.

She chewed on a pencil. Hinata, who was sitting beside her, gave her a weird look and an awkward smile and went back to diligently taking notes. 

It didn’t feel like she had really learned much… only a bit of the general knowledge of other countries stuck in her mind, usually when it pertains to where the other Jinchuuriki lived or where Kurama had grown up (Land of Snow), but really, she didn’t care for much of it.

Techniques… eh. Her best, by far, was the henge technique. She was alright at the flicker-jutsu. The main problem was that the substituted item had to be roughly the same size as the user- and since Naruto was kind of awkward-size (too damn small), it was hard to find things that would work for the jutsu. 

Then there was the bunshin. Horrendous, absolutely horrendous. She couldn't even make a singular good one--they always turned out like looking pale, half-dead, and emaciated. Kurama said it was because she had too damn much chakra, both because she was from the Uzumaki clan (which she’d never heard of) and because she was his Jinchuuriki. Not that she ever tapped into his chakra much, though she had been slowly learning to.

Kurama had set the notion that if she was finally becoming a ninja, and thus getting a license to kill, and an easy excuse to travel in search of a way to break the seal, then he’d finally get around to teaching her a few things. She could already tap into both her own and his chakra. Her taijutsu was alright…

But she wanted more.

The genin exam was coming up… and she felt like she was ready.

The school bell rang. Naruto didn't hear it, deep in thought and half-drowned in her own mindscape. Kurama gave her an annoyed look, and it was only the gentle poke of Hinata that brought her back into reality.

She blinked, looking up at her only human friend. 

“C-class is over,” Hinata quietly said, picking up her textbook and pencils, “Do… um… do you want to walk home together?”

“Sure,” Naruto said, dazedly picking up her own notebook and haphazardly shoving it in her backpack. 

If Hinata noticed her weird behaviour, she didn't call her out on it. Instead, she just gently pulled her own backpack onto her shoulders and began quietly walking next to Naruto.

“So… are you ready for the genin exam?”

Naruto hummed, licking her lips, “only if they don't make us do the bunshin.”

“You always were bad at that one…”

“And you were always good. You know, Hinata-chan, you’re kind of badass.”

Hinata gave her this bewildered look, eyes wide and cheeks red. Naruto thought she was, like, anemic, or something. Or… what was it called when your face was always red? Rose-something? That.

“W-what do you mean, Naruto-san?” She finally asked, after a few steps.

Naruto breezily put her hands up to her head, cradling the back of it as she walked, “Just… you know. You’re cool. And really strong. I know you’re always holding back in class, but think, to be able to hold back like that just shows how strong you really are.”

Her face was even redder. 

“You sick or something?”

“N-no! Uh,” Hinata poked her fingers together.

Naruto chuckled and gave the fellow kunoichi a cheeky wink, “Just bad at taking compliments, then?”

“Um…” Hinata looked away, not even acknowledging the burn. Huh. Kurama would, at least, insult her back. Was that not what all friends did? Naruto pouted. “I was thinking… um… Naruto-chan, since you’re having so much trouble with the bunshin… why don't you come over? Uh- just to study! I think. If that's okay.”

Naruto stopped walking. Hinata kept going for a few steps, before she awkwardly realized her friend did not want to follow and froze, turning around nervously.

Naruto just looked at her for a second, and she swore the Hyuuga was about to cry.

Then a grin erupted on her face

“Of course!”

Had… somebody actually invited her over?

The two of them parted ways, and when Naruto was sure she was out of ear shot she began running and didn't stop until she made it all the way home. Her door flew open and her shoes almost broke from how quick they were thrown off her feet, but Naruto didn’t care. She flung herself onto her bed and  _ squealed. _

Like… like a  _ girl. _

Her face was stuffed in her pillow and Kurama swatted his tails like there was a fly buzzing around his seal.

**_“You’re acting like a child.”_ **

“I don’t care!” She shouted at the top of her lungs. Screw the neighbors, the  _ entire world  _ deserved to hear this!

**_“If somebody suspects you've gone insane they will check the seal first.”_ **

The young girl rolled onto her back, clutching her pillow tight between her arms, “I don’t care~!” She sang, squealing, “I made a friend! A real human… female friend!” 

This was, like, the best day of her life.

Maybe only topped by the day she and Kurama became friends. Because he’d always be her number one.

His tails slammed against the bars, just to irritate her.

**_“Come here.”_ **

Naruto’s eyes slipped shut and she was inside of the seal within seconds. Really, her mastery of shifting through her own levels of consciousness was fucking awesome. 

**“It’s because you’d rather spend time here than in class.”**

“True,” She immediately shot back, a wry little grin on her face. “So, ya called me here to yell at me?”

**“No,”** the Kyuubi said, surprising her.

She raised an eyebrow, silently egging him on. He seemed slightly uncomfortable, shifting around in his seal, his eyes not meeting her own.

**“Our goal is to remove the seal… you cannot do that without a proper understanding of how sealing works.”**

“Yeah?” Why was he beating around the bush? “I thought it was obvious. But the library doesn't have a whole lot of books on it, and Jiji always gets uncomfortable when I bring it up.”

**“That is…”** Kurama looked away,  **“the reason behind that is a conversation for another day.”**

Naruto relaxed a bit, though it wasn't like she wasn't curious. Kurama seemed to know a lot more than he let on, or well, he let it on that he knew a lot, but never really told her much of anything. She remembers questioning him once… he had told her that there were things she was too young or too inexperienced to understand. And other things he simply thought was best she wasn't privy to. 

She trusted him, so she didn't press the matter.

**“Perhaps that is something I will tell you on your next birthday, unless the failsafe activates before that. It may…”** Kurama snorted when she waddled over and punched his nose. No matter how much force she put into it’d never really hurt him, so neither of them cared much that her muscles strained.

“Just get on with it.”

**“Lessons. I believe it is time for me to finally start teaching you how to properly manipulate my chakra. But in order to do so, you must weaken the seal.”**

“Weaken the… but I thought I’d die!”

She’d learned the truth about the seal a few years ago, after she had finally, fully, gained Kurama’s trust. Turns out that no Jinchuuriki had been reported surviving the release of a Bijuu for more than a few hours. Apparently, she had strong blood in her, and she may be able to survive the brief aftermath of the sealing… but their chakra systems had already begun mixing together by the seal, and there was no telling what havoc ripping him away could have on her chakra-network. Her body wouldn't be adjusted to his presence being gone, and she could easily die from chakra-loss within hours of him being released. 

She had been hurt to realize that he had originally tried to trick her into releasing the seal despite knowing it would kill her, but the realization that even before they had formed a friendship, he had backed away from the thought was reassuring. He wasn't bad, no matter how people painted him to be.

He was just  _ hurt _ . Desperate. He did what he thought he had to in order to survive, and when he realized that there was a different way, he changed tactics.

Naruto would always remember that, no matter what happened between them.

Kurama still hadn't said anything, instead choosing to brood in silence, and let her thoughts work things out for themselves. 

“Okay. Explain it to me.”' 

**“By partially-releasing the seal you will allow our chakra to mix at a far faster rate than it currently has been. It will also allow you to dip into the reserve of my chakra without being pulled by the seal, and eventually, you’ll be able to achieve Yang release.”**

“Yang release?”

Kurama cleared his throat, having realized that Naruto had  _ no idea what he was talking about. _

**“It is a unique type of elemental release that not many humans are capable of achieving.”**

“Oh! So… I’ll be, like, super cool!”

Kurama chuckled and shuffled forward, letting Naruto easily fall on the top of one of his paws. His tails swished behind him lazily as he watched the young human settle herself.

**“Jinchuuriki capable of manipulating Bijuu chakra at will are a rarity. I can assure you that if you did not have my cooperation you would die from the process.”**

The girl grinned, fearlessly patting the fox’s paw, the words of what could have been, meant nothing to her. Really, they didn’t. Because she couldn't imagine a life in which she and Kurama weren’t friends… it wasn’t even something worth thinking about.

“So what do we need to do?”

Kurama smirked like he knew that was exactly what she would say to that.

**“Open the gates.”**

She blinked. “But… what about the paper-seal?”

**“It will stick to one of the gates; so long as it remains in-tact the seal will remain in place. Don't worry.”**

“Okay….” She hopped to her feet, tentatively walking over to the bars and sliding her hand down the thick, cold-metal. She never really did like this part of the seal--so cold, hard… and lifeless. It was a prison, literally for Kurama, and metaphorically for her.

She bit her lip.

A warm tail brushed against her back and she looked over her shoulder. Kurama’s eyes softened, and he nudged her forward with his nose.

**“It will be fine. Just concentrate.”**

She smiled while looking at those bright red eyes and turned back. Her eyes slipped shut and she imagined her chakra pushing at the bars, warming them, turning them into something that was  _ hers.  _ This seal was a place for her and Kurama; a place of friendship and life and warmth. 

It was  _ not  _ a prison.

And she pitied anyone whoever thought it was.

With that, she stuck out her hands, and the metal was warm beneath her fingers. Then, there was air, light and free. Not like the muggy, choking air that followed the sewers.

She opened her eyes, and the ground was dry. The lights flickered to life and the ruddy seals of the sewer were replaced with neatly-stacked redbrick. The air was like a fresh Konoha summer, warm and bright and wonderful. There was a campfire, crackling, just like in the shared space. She turned around and saw Kurama smiling.

“Where do we start, Kura-sensei?”

**“Don’t call me that.”**

* * *

A large hand swiped close to her, claws glinting and barely missing her as she moved out of the way. The tails weren't far behind, waving and swiping, trying to knock her down with each powerful swing. She jumped, dodging the first one just barely, only for a second to come right after and slam against her midsection, knocking her through the air and slamming her against the redbrick of the seal.

Thankfully this was happening in her mind, or else that would have really fucking hurt.

Kurama smirked,  **“Pay attention.”** Just as the other hand came out of nowhere and flicked her across the room again. Naruto’s head hit the wall.

**“You would have died,”** Kurama stated gruffly as if he was personally insulted by her lack of ability.

Naruto pushed herself up, spitting. She channelled chakra, some of her own and some of Kurama’s. She still didn't have too good of a grasp on the demonic chakra, but it was better than it had been the day before. Her legs were shaking and tired, she knew it was more mental exhaustion than physical. How long had they been training, now? It had to be more than thirty hours.

Another tail swipe. She rolled, this time, and threw herself to the side as the second came to slam down on her. The ground cracked and instantly repaired itself.

**“You’re learning,”** Kurama breezily said, but a third tail still pounced, punching against the side of her head and knocking her to the ground,  **“But growing slow. You should have more stamina than this.”**

Naruto didn’t get up, panting. She chose to roll onto her back and place her hands on her stomach, she whined, “I’m not made out of condensed chakra.”

Kurama sighed,  **“Perhaps. It’s time to leave, you’re hungry.”**

Naruto blinked. She hadn't even realized she was starving, she didn't feel any hunger in her mindscape. All of her psychical senses were dulled… touch was alright, the pain was minimal, and smell was nonexistent… she wondered if that could change. Or, maybe Kurama smelled really bad, and it was a good thing.

He poked her stomach with his sharp talon, grunting. She grinned at him and closed her eyes. 

And awoke on her bed. She was in a similar position to the night before, as well as just seconds ago in the seal, on her back, hands vaguely around her stomach area. Her pillow had been pushed to the side, she ignored the pillow’s depressed curl against the wall and was forgotten and instead craned her neck to look at her alarm clock.

It was eleven.

Which was okay, because she didn’t have school today.

…

But it  _ wasn't okay,  _ because she had promised Hinata she'll be coming over-!

Naruto rolled out of bed, head slamming against the floor and  _ oh fuck,  _ being in her mind that long made her forget what pain even  _ was.  _ She hissed, sitting up and clutching her head. The damage was next to nothing, and it instantly repaired itself.

But it still hurt. Couldn't Kurama get rid of that?

**_“Pain is necessary to grow stronger.”_ **

“Says you,” She grumbled out loud, picking herself and rushing to the bathroom.

A quick shower later, and then she was haphazardly trying to pull on a pair of black shorts. Her favourite orange jacket was next, obviously, and then today she decided to tie her hair up in pigtails… because she looked damn cute in them, and Hinata deserved only the best from her!

She was out the door in five minutes, rushing through the streets and towards the humongous ward that was the Hyuuga compound. She bet the only clan with more land would be the Uchiha… but… nobody was using it anymore.

**_“Good.”_ **

_ “Stop being so bloodthirsty, you.” _

Kurama didn't respond, She huffed, reaching the Hyuuga door and quickly rapping on it. The open was opening almost instantly, in a seamless, silent way that screamed how well the Hyuuga oiled it. Stupid prissies, always… doing things.

The Hyuuga guard gave her a weird, chaffed look, rudely sniffing at her presence, “May I… help you?” he had a weird symbol on his forehead. She stared at it, and he seemed uncomfortable. Was it because of the forehead-thingy, or because she was a Jinchuuriki? 

Naruto put her hands on her hips, unamused, “I’m one of Hinata-chan’s classmates, she invited me over to study for the genin exam.”

His nose crinkled, but he stepped aside, giving her just barely enough room to enter the compound. “Yes, I was told a classmate would be coming,” he explained.

He gave her a strange look as she stepped inside, but since he didn’t say anything else she let it slide. The door ominously shut behind her, the locks clicking in place and the guard going back to his duty of being a tight-ass doorkeeper. Naruto stifled a giggle as she looked over her shoulder, watching as the man stood there, with nothing to do all day. Sucks to be him.

The Hyuuga compound was huge. and Naruto found herself more than lost without even having moved ten steps into the area. It wasn't like she had ever been here before, so she didn't know where to go… then again, Hinata-chan was the heiress, right? So… her house was probably the fanciest.

“Uzumaki-san?” 

Her nose scrunched up automatically in disgust, how many times had she heard someone call her that? Surely she could count the times on a single hand…. the honorific sounded forced. Weird. Who still used last-names, anyways?

She looked up to the Hyuuga who had called to her regardless. It was a rather plain-looking woman, with long brown hair in a low ponytail and the same weird symbol on her forehead.

Wait… 

Naruto’s eyes narrowed as she stared at the symbol, was that… some kind of seal? She had studied the few basic sealing materials that Konoha’s library held, but it still wasn't enough knowledge for her to fully grasp what it was. If she had to guess, at the very least, she’d say it was some kind of seal. Not that it gave her much information.

The Hyuuga woman started leading her down a beautiful brick path, it seemed to be much higher quality than the regular concrete roadways of Konoha-proper. Actually, everything in the Hyuga Clan’s compound seemed better than regular Konoha.

Bunch of rich bastards, she’d say.

They reached what Naruto assumed was the head household of the clan. It was a giant building that almost looked like a hotel, only it was in top-notch condition, practically sparkling, and she could tell that everything used to make it was the best on the market.

The Hyuuga woman kneels before the door before opening it and bowing low. There stood Hinata.

“Naruto-san!” The heiress blushed, bowing slightly, not because of rank, but rather her timid nature, “you made it!”

“Yeah,” Naruto replied, awkward. “It’s not like I can turn down the help,” she laughed, scratching the back of her head.

The Hyuuga woman lifted her head and Hinata awkwardly dismissed her, “C-come in, Naruto-san. Should we, um… what do you want to work on first?”

Naruto pursed her lips, climbing up the wooden ledge and nudging off her shoes where Hinata gestured. Thankfully she had worn sneakers and socks today, or else she would have been self-conscious about stomping around in her bare feet. They were a little gnarly. “I know the flicker-jutsu and henge- I just need help with the bunshin. Uh, and maybe some of the math. And the written response. Uh… maybe the whole written exam. Well, actually, maybe not?”

Hinata blinked, before giggling slightly, politely covering her mouth with her hand, “You don’t know?”

She threw up her hands, “How am I supposed to know what they have on the test? Sometimes they only ask easy questions and so I do really good, but other times they only put in the hard stuff!”

“That's why you need to prepare for both,” Hinata shot back, but there wasn't really any heat to it. Hinata-chan was always really gentle and kind. She was shy like that, but Naruto liked it. Hinata didn't treat her badly like the other kids did. 

“That's too much work!” Naruto crossed her arms when they entered another room- it was bare, with a neat futon sitting upon the floor with lavender covers… but there were also a few trinkets laying around. Some scrolls- one of them was open, and some sort of healing technique was displayed. There was a small table to the side with some sciency-stuff on it, and through the half-open sliding door, she could see a planter sitting on the wooden ledge, with little herbs sprouting out the top. “Shinobi are all about fighting! Not… stupid triangles, and stuff!”

Were they in Hinata's room? Naruto shuffled, it seemed weird to be in here. Like, she’d never been in a friend's room, before.

“And stuff…” Hinata whispered, a little smile on her face, “Do you mean strategy?”

“Whatever,” she grumbled in return, “Don’t need to know no strategy if I can just punch anybody into space.”

“W-well… that is one way to do it… but, I think it’s important to consider multiple strategies… or else, um, you might get hurt.”

“I heal fast.”

“But-” Hinata reached out and grabbed hold of her jacket sleeve, tugging, “I…” she looked away, “w-we’re… we’re friends… right? N-Naruto-san?”

Naruto blinked once, twice, slowly. Her mouth became the perfect fly trap before she slammed it shut, the click of her teeth hitting each other resounding through the room. 

“Yeah,” She finally managed to answer, cautiously- was this some kind of trap? Or test? Because, certainly, she did not study for it.

“Good...” Hinata bit her lip, still refusing to look at her, “B-because… we’re friends. And friends worry about each other…” She looked up, and Naruto was surprised to see the clash of steel and fire in her eyes, so unlike the timid girl she had begun to know, “So… if you get hurt, I’m going to be upset with you!”

Naruto’s world broke.

She didn't know how long she stood there, silently gaping. She knew it was enough time for her eyes to sting and water to form the lack of blinking, and for a second there she was scared that she’d  _ actually  _ catch a fly.

“Naruto-san?” Hinata shook her arm a little, overly cautious, like she really had broken her, and couldn’t put the pieces back together.

“Hinata-chan,” She replied, stoic, “You… do you really mean that?”

“Of course.”

Her arms might as well have been attached to that stupid Ino because she sure as hell didn't have control of them. They were wrapped snug around Hinata before she even knew it, and the other girl let out a squeak of maybe protest, though it should be noted that she didn’t exactly struggle against the hold. Naruto couldn't see Hinata, but she could sure as hell feel the warmth of her overly-blushing face.

She patted the other girl on the back and pulled away, grinning, “Alrighty, then, I guess we’ll just have to train together… so that you know I’m strong enough to not get hurt.”

Hinata gave a quick, cute little nod, her hands balling into fists. She eagerly led Naruto back outside, into a small, well-kept training area. 

“W-we should start work on the bunshin…” Hinata said, poking her fingers together, “I… can I watch your chakra while you try to form one?”

“Uh…” could Hinata do that? “Sure?”

The heiress blushed and held up two fingers in a hand seal that Naruto hadn't seen before, “Byakugan!” she shouted, just as her chakra flared and her eyes went all weird. The veins surrounding her eyes throbbed outwards, and her eyes took on a darker, far more dangerous appearance.

Naruto felt her fingers tingle in anticipation. She could feel Hinata’s gaze, though it seemed to pass through the surface and look deeper inside of her. Was she… actually looking at her chakra coils, then?

“What is that?” 

“Oh,” Hinata looked a little taken aback, “My family’s kekkei-genkai, the Byakugan. It allows the user to see the chakra systems of other people. Um… I, um, I thought it would be helpful… so that I can maybe… er, see what you’re doing wrong.”

Fuck. She couldn’t use any of Kurama’s chakra then. Hinata would probably see it, and wonder why Naruto had more than one source of chakra, which really nobody had, except for the other Jinchuuriki. And Hinata wouldn't know what that was, because Konoha had some kind of taboo against Bijuu-related-knowledge.

“Alright… so, I should try making a clone, right?”

Hinata nodded, eyes gently urging her to continue. Naruto obliged, forming the necessary hand seal, and flowing her chakra through her body to perform the jutsu. She started sweating, she had a  _ fuck ton  _ of chakra, even without Kurama’s mixed in, and it was kind of difficult for her to move it to her will. Even with all the practice she had, she still had next to no control over her reserves.

The chakra finally obliged slightly to her will, and she heard a  _ pop  _ as the clone was formed.

“Oh… Naruto-chan…”

Since when did Hinata-chan sound exactly like Iruka-sensei?

The girl opened her bright azure eyes to see a… half-dead, watery-looking clone helplessly laying on the ground. Expected, but not appreciated. 

“Yeah,” She laughed, scratching the back of her neck, “I’m kind of terrible at this jutsu.”

“I… yeah. But, um, I… I think I know what the problem is,” Hinata poked her fingers together, “You… um, you have  _ a lot  _ of chakra, Naruto-san. I've noticed it before… but you have more than most people, I think.”

Not surprising, Kurama said that she had larger reserves than normal shinobi. It had something to do with her ‘lineage’, something he promised to tell her about later, which she didn't mind waiting for.

“The clone-jutsu uses barely any chakra,” She pouted, “I don’t have that kind of control! I flood it!"

“I… I understand that. Let me… let me ask my Tou-san something,” Hinata bowed, stepping away from the training area and going inside. She returned a few minutes later followed by some stern-looking Hyuuga man holding a thick scroll.

His eyebrows knitted, “Hinata-sama… is this the classmate you asked about?”

Hinata nodded sheepishly. The Hyuuga man sighed.

“I need to speak with your father. I will return shortly,” He gave a curt nod and left just as quickly as Hinata first had, and the girl gave him a concerned look.

“O-oh no… I… think I may have done something wrong,” she whispered, holding her hands up to her face.

Naruto immediately swooped in, patting her friend on the arm and sending her a bright smile, “I’m sure that it’s fine, Hinata-chan! What did you ask him?”

“J-just, um… I heard about this technique… shinobi less than Jounin aren't supposed to learn it, but since the danger was from chakra exhaustion… and you have so much…”

“Then there's nothing to worry about! I have more chakra than most Jounin! So it’s okay, Hinata-chan. We’ll just talk to your dad and get this settled.”

Hinata gave her a little smile and a nod, but there was something about her eyes. Naruto didn't know exactly what it was, but she didn't like it. 

The doors to the house opened and two men walked out. There was the Hyuuga man from earlier, she noted he also had that seal on his forehead, as well as a proper-looking man lacking a seal. She assumed that he was Hinata’s father… mostly because he looked super scary, and usually clan heads were like that. Except for Hinata, she’ll be great.

“Uzumaki,” Hinata’s dad said, eyes stern, “So you are the student who has befriended my daughter?”

The weight of his gaze was a little too much for her, she immediately straightened out her back and stood at attention, “U-uh, yeah. Me and Hinata-chan are great friends.”

His eyes narrowed impossibly further at the  _ chan.  _ Hinata herself was trembling like a leaf.

**_“Kit,”_ ** Kurama warned, chakra threatening to leak out, to send a message. She stamped it down with all the might she had, but she didn't quite catch all of it.

The Hyuuga noticed. Hinata might not have, but there was no mistaking the sudden flinch that the two men had. They were suddenly on guard, and Hinata’s dad’s eyes changed… he reminded her of… that creepy old guy she saw during council meetings, for the few times Jiji had forced her to tag along. What was his name? Dango? She didn't like him, he was like… some kind of pedophile, or something.

After a few moments, the sudden eruption of killer intent faded. 

“Very well,” He said, nodding at her sternly, “but Nikita will supervise all training sessions from this point onwards.”

Both girls let out simultaneous sighs of relief as Hinata’s dad left. The other man, Nikita, she assumed, stayed behind, still holding the scroll from earlier.

He cleared his throat, looking incredibly uncomfortable, “Hinata-sama told me about your problem, and I believe the solution is written upon this scroll.” 

He handed over said scroll, and she took it gingerly.

She opened it, eyes widening, “Shadow clones?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter (I think? I didn't do a word count) so I'm throwing it in here, as well. I'm not sure if I will continue posting two chapters every week or go down to just posting the one... we'll see.  
> Enjoy! I hope everyone has a good weekend! ^^
> 
> Note- I've noticed that my dialogue-tagging is incorrect (only slightly), but I still have two other stories to update an dI need to get ready for work in an hour and... well, I'm not sure if I will ever get around to fixing it. Like I said in the first notes, this story is from quite a while go, and uh, I dunno my dudes. Maybe it's best to leave it as a time capsule of how bad my writing used to be?

The room was practically buzzing with excitement,or, maybe it was anxiety. Either way, Naruto kind of felt, like, really confident. More than she had ever been before, for the two mock exams that they'd done in the past year to prepare for the real thing. She’d failed both of them, she wasn’t going to, this time.

Not with her  _ secret weapon _ .

She sat next to Hinata, who gave her a smile and a thumbs up.

“You’ll do g-great, Naruto-san.”

“You too, Hinata-chan!”

The first portion of the test was the written segment. While Naruto certainly didn’t have the best grades in class (more like, barely above failing,) she wasn't overly worried about bombing this section. It was actually the part she had passed on her two mock-tests, thanks to Kurama knowing quite a bit about the elemental nations.

**_“I travelled them for some time before my… imprisonment,”_ ** He coughed.

_ “Yes, yes, I know. Now, what's the country next to Stone?” S _ he asked, pointing to the map she had been assigned to fill out.

**_“Waterfall. We’ve been through this before.”_ **

_ “Kay,”  _ She quickly wrote down the answer, and the rest of the map didn’t take much longer. 

Then was Konoha history, another subject that Kurama was quite knowledgeable in, seeing that his two previous Jinchuuriki were both wives to the Hokage. Then there were fighting formations, basic ninjutsu, a description of genjutsu, labelling taijutsu stances… everything was fairly simple. Fighting terms were actually something that Naruto had a pretty good grasp on, and so she quickly skirted through those sections. Maybe she wasn't good at genjutsu, but heck, she at least knew what it was! If anyone didn't know what genjutsu was then they shouldn't pass,period. They'd die in an instant.

Naruto would be fine, though. Being a Jinhcuuriki made her hard to kill, apparently. Besides, she was just super cool like that.

She quickly scribbled down the answer to the last question, and with that, the written test was finished. Mizuki-sensei immediately whisked them off to start marking, while Iruka took them outside for the practical part of the exam. They had to throw their kunai and shuriken and get at least two of the three items thrown in the center of the board. Easy enough, Naruto was pretty decent at throwing.

Then there was the taijutsu section. Her favourite, and best subject. After recess,  _ of course _ .

Every student had to face off against Iruka, or Mizuki, or one of the other assistant-sensei. Luckily, Naruto was in the rotation with Iruka, who was a pretty gentle guy when it came down to it. She wasn't scared, there was no way she’d fail against him. Out of all her teachers, he was the one trying to help her pass the most. Naruto didn't mind Iruka; he was a good guy. Strict, but that was only because he genuinely wanted to help every student.

They both stepped into the ring and held out their hands in the customary Leaf sparring tradition. Then, they bowed and the fight officially started.

Iruka was immediately on the offensive, throwing himself forward and lashing out with an obviously-held-back-punch. He seemed shaky and awkward, and she easily avoided the hit. Of course, she expected him to be a much better fighter in an actual fight... but heck, this was her exam! He could at least try-

Her eyes glanced at the rest of the students awaiting their turn. Oh. She was the only girl in Iruka’s set, that would explain it.

“Don’t go easy on me cause I’m a girl, sensei,” She said, quickly springing forward and throwing out two jabs. The first one missed, but that was only a distraction for the second, which managed to hit the man in the stomach. She dropped, throwing up her right leg in a roundhouse kick that just barely sailed over her teacher's head as he dropped on a crouch.

His leg swept her under her feet. Classic move, managing to hit and knock her off balance. Thankfully, Naruto had taken those gymnastics courses for Kunoichi,and easily threw her body back so that she could land on her hands and back spring away from Iruka’s follow up kick. She bounced to her feet and threw herself to the side to avoid another hit, throwing up her own knee which managed to clip the man in the side. He parried by punching, only for her to dodge and kick once more, slamming it against the arm that had attacked in the first place. He reached to grab her foot, only to have her backtrack and slam her heel against his reaching hand, throwing herself away and breezily flicking a dulled exam issued kunai at her teacher.

It hit him in the shoulder but didn’t sink into the flesh. It wasn't supposed to, after all. But damn, those things still  _ hurt. _

Just as he was recovering she skipped behind him, side-kicking her poor teacher in the back and slamming him to the ground.

“I warned ya!”

“Alright, alright,” Iruka shook it off, standing to his feet. He didn’t look too injured,but hey, maybe Naruto herself was holding back a little bit, “You managed to knock me down, which is a pass. Congratulations, Naruto-chan. Please go wait with the other students until everyone is done.”

She did as she was told and within half-an-hour, everybody was finished with their sparring and their written tests had been marked. Those who had passed would continue on to the final installment of the graduation test: ninjutsu.

Now it was time to sweat.

“Aburame Shino,” Iruka-sensei called from the front, nursing a bruise on his chin from where Sasuke had kicked him. Shino, the poor sucker at the front of the list, got up and followed him to the other room.

Naruto’s leg jiggled from under her desk. Ino sent her an annoyed look, “Do you  _ have  _ to do that?”

“Do you  _ have  _ to complain?” Naruto shot back, teeth bared.

“I don’t even know why you’re still here, I mean, you have the worst grades in class!”

“Uh, clearly not, since I passed the written exam and some other kids  _ didn’t! _ ” She stuck her tongue out, and Ino looked absolutely offended, as if Naruto had claimed everything she knew and loved was terrible.“And didn't you see me in the taijutsu section? I kicked Iruka’s ass!”

Ino sputtered, “You probably cheated! Knowing you, you could have snuck something in with that hideous jacket of yours!”

Her jacket was a slick orange, just like Kurama! And anything that resembled Kurama was just, like, inherently cool! The best, really.

In the seal, Kurama shifted from embarrassment.

“Take that back!”

“No! You and your stupid  _ bangs-!  _ ”

Bangs? What was wrong with bangs? 

“Hinata-chan has bangs and she's super cute, thank you very much!” Naruto retorted, and she could hear Hianta's sheepish 'eep' from beside her.

“Girls!”

They looked up to see Mizuki-sensei, and the entire class staring at them. He coughed, “Ino-chan, Naruto-chan, please wait patiently. Distracting yourselves is okay, but disrupting your classmates is not. If you continue fighting I'll have to fail you."

Ino huffed and threw her ponytail over her shoulder, turning the other cheek at the reprimand. She sent Naruto a nasty look as if blaming her for all of the yelling, and went back to chatting with the annoying Sakura. Naruto stuck out her tongue, thoroughly ruffled, but unable to lash out.

“Stupid Ino. I can dress however I want,” Naruto hissed.

“O-of course, Naruto-san,” Hinata agreed meekly, “You… shouldn't worry about what she thinks… so much…”

Naruto huffed, “hard not to when she's always up in my face about it. It’s not like it’s the first time that’s ever happened. Sakura, too. She’s always calling me dumb 'n stuff,” She eyed the pink-haired girl, who was diligently looking over jutsu notes. What was the point? This deep in the test, it wasn’t like the theory could help her now. 

“W-well…” Hinata poked her fingers together, “it’s, um, unlikely that you’ll be placed on a t-team with them… since there's usually only one kunoichi…”

Naruto sat back and rolled the information over in her head. Right, she couldn’t be stuck with either Ino or Sakura due to how teams usually formed, but that also meant she couldn’t be placed with  _ Hinata _ either. Which sucked, really, because she was the only real friend she had. It wasn't like it was  _ always  _ two boys and a girl, but that was usually the case since Kunoichi usually filled support roles. Naruto herself was offensive, but Hinata, Ino, and Sakura would definitely be in support. Hinata was a genius sensor, after all.

“Then we won’t be together…”

Hinata gave her a sad smile, "Well... um, Genin-teams don't last forever. We could be a-chunin together!"

"Yeah!"

But becoming a Chunin would probably be... years from now. As proud as Naruto was of her skills, she knew she had to be a genin for a while, and while she might have a promising future, she'd still have a shitty  _ future _ . That also meant she’d have to be with two boys from their class… and while a few of them weren’t bad like Choji and Shikamaru, she didn’t exactly want to be paired up with any of them…

Especially that damned Uchiha.

**_“He’d be groomed to manipulate us. I wouldn't be surprised if they pair you with him just because of his Sharingan."_ **

_ “Fuck." _

“W-well…” Hinata's voice brought her back to a far more pleasant reality. A reality where she wasn't stuck with that horrible Sasuke.

“And I’ll have to be with some stupid boys, and none of them like me either. I’m not girlish or useless enough for them." She eyed the Uchiha from across the room, hoping he felt the sting of her glare, "especially  _ that  _ one. He only likes idiot girls."

“Naruto-san…!”

It was strange for Hinata to raise her voice like that.

“You… i-it doesn’t matter what he thinks of you, Naruto-san…” 

Naruto idly watched as Sasuke got up and entered the examination room. 

Her vision turned back to Hinata when she caught the faint sight of red. True to form, the Hyuuga was blushing, “because, um… I believe in you.”

Naruto opened her mouth, then closed it. She sucked in a breath and counted to ten and watched as a fly landed on their desk, “Hinata-”

“Uzumaki Naruto!”

Her legs moved on their own, and suddenly she was standing. She gave Hinata a sympathetic look,  _ we'll talk later, _ and started walking down the steps, passing Sasuke just as he left, a headband tied tightly around his forehead. There was an air of confidence to his walk like he owned the entire damn world. Their eyes locked and midnight-black clashed with sky-blue.

He smirked at her.  _ I’m better than you. _

She hissed at him.  _ I’ll show you. _

She barely caught the thumbs-up Hinata gave her and grinned in response.

Iruka-sensei hit the papers against the desk, straightening the stack, “Alright, Naruto-chan, I’m sure you know the drill by now.”

“Three jutsu,” She responded. 

“Start with the henge,” He replied, getting out a pen and pushing it to the paper, waiting. He already knew she would be able to perform it, she’d done so many times in the past. Usually, she liked to model herself after what he thought Kurama would look in human form, minus the tell-tale whisker-marks and red eyes, of course. She couldn't be too obvious.

Kurama hated it, which only made it that much more fun to do.

She quickly made the proper hand seal and shifted her chakra, creating a shield of it around her real body as she disguised how she looked. And bam, the smoke blew and suddenly she was a tall man of six-feet with long, unruly orange hair and glowing purple eyes. A cocky grin spread across her face, and she flexed her long, black painted talons.

“Very good,” Iruka-sensei muttered, sounding rehearsed and bored, obviously he'd seen this henge before. She wondered just how many students he gave that very same reaction to.

“Flicker?”

She switched places with the empty chair beside Mizuki-sensei. He yelped at her sudden appearance, and she saw Iruka put a little red check mark in a box. Two for two.

She easily switched places with the chair again, and nervously shifted in place.

“Now…” Iruka-sensei paused to look at her,and they both knew what he had to say next, “Bunshin.”

She bit her lip, settling her nerves. She had this. It would be fine. She learned an alternate jutsu just the day before, and while she had far from mastered it, she’d at least be able to make three.

She formed the hand sign and prayed to any god  _ or _ demon or whatever would listen to make this damn jutsu work.

“Shadow-clone jutsu!”

And just as she moved her chakra, Kurama’s flooded her. 

**_“Next time, leave out the gods,”_ ** He quipped, tails lashing about lazily, but she could feel the smirk on his face,  **_"it's distasteful."_ **

And suddenly the room was full of Narutos.

_ "I think most people would think the demon part was distasteful." _

Kurama just smirked.

“Uh…” Iruka blinked. So did Mizuki. Naruto felt a rush along her skin at their befuddlement, heh! She'd definitely pass with that.

And then they wrote something down.

“I… Naruto-chan… I would say that you need to work on the output control, and that's not even the right jutsu, but you still managed to create three clones… so… you pass?"

Why did he sound so unsure?

Mizuki cleared his throat, "Uh... well, it's technically a more advanced jutsu, and we can't hold her back from being advanced, can we?" He almost sounded like... he  _ wanted _ to hold her back!  _ Ass! _ Naruto swore, half the teachers at this school wanted to fail her just because she was a Jinchuuriki... but, like Jinhcuuriki weren’t supposed to become Shinobi? Naruto didn't get it, honestly.

The Narutos popped out of existence just as fast as they had arrived, and Mizuki-sensei shakily raised a hand to give her a roughly fabricated headband. She situated it on the top of her head like it was a hairband, but she wouldn't know if it looked good or not until Hinata gave the call. Still, she walked out of the room with her head held high.

Several people seemed shocked. Hinata immediately stood and rushed her.

“Does the headband look good?”

Hinata giggled, “Really, Naruto-san? That's what you're w-worried about?"

Team assignments were due the next day. Not surprisingly, they were at least ten kids shorter than the day before. Heh, poor suckers failed! Though she supposed that was a good thing, she didn't want some horrible can't-even-henge kid on her team, getting her killed. Was that rude? No, probably not.

Naruto was sitting next to Hinata again, and the Hyuuga was positively vibrating with nervous energy. She patted her arm, but that only made the problem worse.

Mizuki-sensei was missing. There were some weird rumours about scrolls or whatever, but she didn't pay them much mind. She’d always liked Iruka better, he had even taken her out for ramen the other night to congratulate her on passing! It was really sweet. They stayed out till the sun had gone down!

(It seemed like there was something on his mind, but he didn't say anything so she figured it was nothing. But she noticed he had been armed. As if he was waiting for someone to attack.)

“And now… team seven,” Iruka announced, though he sounded weird. Nervous? Why? “Due to an odd number of students this year, the team will consist of Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Uzumaki Naruto.”

And for that second the world stopped turning.

When Naruto came, she slammed her face into her desk. Kurama was half-laughing, half-enraged.

**_“The two humans you most despise!”_ ** He laughed, though it was bitter, **_“Does Konoha_ ** **want** **_to fester your hatred?”_ **

_ “You forgot Ino,” _ Was the only reply she could muster.

_ At least it wasn’t Ino. _

Something shifted, and Sakura started talking, “Um, Iruka-sensei?” Naruto was willing to bet her next month's allowance that the goody-two-shoes had put up her hand, and was now biting her lip, internally angry at Naruto being on her team, “I’ve never heard of a two-kunoichi genin squad before.”

Iruka cleared his throat, awkward, “There is often far more male shinobi candidates than there are female, and so we try our best to balance the teams equally… but this year, there were more female candidates than male to make teams out of, so we had to make a genin squad with two females.” He sighed, “in any case, once you are promoted to Chunin, such gender ratios are no longer important. The members of your original team can be assigned anywhere.”

“But…” Sakura shifted and Naruto rolled her head to see that she was fisting her hands into her shirt from under the desk, annoyed, “Why… us?”

Iruka-sensei blinked, perhaps a bit taken aback by the question. Sasuke seemed just as intently keen on knowing--bastard that he was. Probably thought she’d bring him down, or something.

“Well…” Iruka was growing more and more uncomfortable by the second, “it was the best balance of candidates… the overall highest scoring, the most intellectual candidate, and…” his eyes slid to Naruto, “the one who shows the most physically-based prowess.”

The world stopped for a second time that day and Naruto felt all the attention of the room immediately go to her.

“What?” She joined in with everyone else's questions.

Iruka looked at his clipboard, ignoring their prying stares, “Naruto-chan displayed a very stamina-based technique during the jutsu section of the exam.”

Ah, the shadow clones. The Hyuuga man (what was his name, again?) had warned her that a shadow clone was different from a normal bunshin, as in it was  _ physical _ . It was possible to create something physical from nothing but chakra, that's how the Bijuu existed, but it required large amounts to do so, and so in order to create a proper physical clone, one had to split their chakra in-half.

Which generally leads to, well, death. Via chakra-exhaustion.

Luckily Naruto had more than anyone could ever need.

“Moving on-” Iruka-sensei said, a little too loud and a little too stern, “Team Eight will include Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, and Hyuuga Hinata.”

Naruto looked at Hinata, she didn’t look nearly as upset as Naruto felt.

…

“Our Jounin-sensei will now proceed to take each team to a separate training ground. Good luck everyone.”

Hinata’s team was the first to go, and thus, Naruto had nobody to talk to. She refused to acknowledge that her teammates even existed, and so they awkwardly sat in silence as more and more teams left with their sensei. The jounin was all strange looking, and Naruto was glad she didn’t have any of them, but then again her teacher was probably also a weirdo.

After all, he was two hours late.

She sucked in her bottom lip and sat back in her seat. Team Seven were the only people left in the room. Even the academy teachers had left, giving them all sympathetic looks as they abandoned them to their fate. 

Sitting here was starting to get annoying. Sakura had moved to the front seats to sit next to Sasuke, she was awkwardly chattering with him as if he gave a crap about the people on his team. Naruto rocked in her chair absentmindedly, it made this fun little creaking sound every time.

“Naruto!” Sakura suddenly hissed after a good fifteen creaks, turning in her chair and giving her a look of  _ bloody murder.  _ “Cut. That. Out.”

“Who's gonna make me?” Naruto sang, squeaking her chair just as she said so. “I ‘ _ displayed a very high stamina technique during the ninjutsu section’  _ ,” Her grin was absolutely foxy.

Sakura stood up, hissing, a fist in front of her body. Would they seriously spar in the middle of the classroom? Because Naruto was  _ so  _ down.

“Naruto!” Sakura hissed.

She stood up herself, the chair creaked and then slammed against the ground behind her.

Sakura tensed, and Naruto reasoned that it was a look of regret that flashed through her eyes, but she wasn’t going to back down. If Sakura wanted a fight, then she’d get one… it wasn’t Naruto’s fault that she decided to pick it with someone stronger than her.

“This has had a long time coming, Sakura-chan. You’re always yelling at me 'n stuff! And now you’ve got some kind of a problem with me being on your team?!”

Perhaps it was the years of loneliness catching up to her… or the years of lies and secrets and knowing way too many things that she wasn't supposed to be aware of, or, maybe, just  _ maybe  _ , it was the influence of the demon sitting in her stomach, stirring up chakra and trouble… but Naruto was so ready for this.

Sasuke had stood up at some point, and just as Naruto took a step forward to engage, he was in the middle of them. His eyes were sharp and warning, at her,  _ just her _ , but he never said a word.

It was only then that Naruto realized the door had opened. There was a man standing there with a shock of silver-grey hair that seemed to defy gravity, and, strangely enough, most of his face was covered by some form of mask. She wrinkled her nose. Yep a weirdo.

“You’re late,” Was all she said.

“My first impression… I don’t like you,” He replied back. “Meet me on the roof for introductions.” And then he was gone.

Sasuke was the first out of the classroom, having not said a word for the entire day. What was his problem, anyway? He always thought he was better than her, well, she'd show him. 

She’d show all of them.

She beat Sakura to the door and onto the roof.

“So, two kunoichi, eh? What a strange team,” the silver-haired man commented.

“Got a problem with me being a girl? I can still kick your ass,” Naruto haughtily replied. 

The man gave her a weird look, one that she wasn't able to read.

“Why don’t we introduce ourselves?” the teacher said, eye-smiling at them as he breezily changed the subject.

Naruto begrudgingly sat down on one of the steps as the man leaned back against the roof’s railing. Sasuke and Sakura followed suit, with the other girl raising her hand politely.

“Um… why don't you go first?” She asked, eyeing him, “so we know what to say?”

“I’m Hatake Kakashi. I have some likes, some dislikes… My hobbies? Oh, yes, I have a few. And my dream for the future? A secret.”

A pregnant pause.

“... We only learned his name.”

“Then why don’t you go first?” 

Sakura blinked. “Me? Oh, um,” She shifted, eyeing Sasuke before quickly turning her attention back to the teacher, Kakashi. “I’m Haruno Sakura. The things I like? Well,um ,I mean, the  _ person  _ I like...’ She giggled and looked at Sasuke again and Naruto wanted to puke. Who cared about love? She just wanted to punch people. “I dislike Naruto! And how aggressive she is!” She huffed, “and my dream or the future….” She blushed.

Boring.

“Okay now, the brooding one?”

“I am Uchiha Sasuke. I have many dislikes and don’t much like anything.” Okay, wow, edgy. “My own hobby is training, and my dream for the future… is no dream, it is an ambition, and I  _ will  _ make it happen. It is my mission to kill a  _ certain man _ .”

His wacked-out older brother, Naruto presumed. She heard about the Uchiha massacre shortly after it had happened,Jiji had been spooked and made Naruto live with him for a week after it. It was fun playing with Konohamaru. 

“And now the loud one.”

She bristled, but easily fell into the routine of introducing herself. If she could do it for multiple  _ demons,  _ then certainly she could do it for some cranky classmates and a late, bed-headed jounin. “My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I like dogs and ramen! I don’t like people who think they know everything, and people who just take whatever they want. I have a whole ton of hobbies, but that's none of your business!” She stuck out her tongue, Sakura looked appalled.

Her hobbies were training and playing with Kurama and brushing Kurama’s fur. She liked cooking, but only for other people (Kurama, occasionally Jiji,) and she liked teasing Kurama. 

Really, all her hobbies had to do with her best friend.

“And my dream for the future…” She hummed, but grew a little solemn thinking of what she needed to do with her life, “is to fulfill a promise that I made to my most important friend.”

Kurama rumbled in the back of her mind, but she took it as a purr. The cute little kitty that he was.

**_“I thought I was a dog.”_ **

That too.

“Uhh…”

Sakura and Sasuke were looking at her real weird and the jounin guy--Kakashi-sensei? Ew, she didn't wanna call him that, not if he showed up two-hour slate, that is. It was a title that had to be earned--was stone-faced.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“No-” Sakura shook herself out of it, and Naruto was surprised to see that her eyes weren't as callous as usual, “I was just expecting you to say that you wanted to be Hokage like you used to shout all the time.”

Right.

That was before she learned… what the first Hokage did to the Bijuu.

Enslaved them. Sold them off to be weapons like they were nothing more than some stupid sword. For no real reason, they didn't do anything to deserve it, he was in the wrong.

The title had last it’s reverence ever since then. She felt sick, thinking of her younger self… wanting to become that.

Jiji was still alright… but not the same.

“Eh, well,” She shrugged, and breezily explained, “lost it’s magic.” Acting as if the revelation hadn't caused her weeks of lost sleep. Like she hadn't missed several days at the academy because she had felt too sick to go.

“Oh.”

Things were quiet for a while, and then, Kakashi clapped, looking far too cheerful for the atmosphere. Who even was this guy, some kind of looney?

“Moving on! I’m sure you’re all excited to know about the upcoming genin exam.”

“But… we just passed our genin exams, didn't we?” Sakura asked.

Sasuke grunted.

“You finished the preliminary exams! But only three new genin exams are taken each year. The real test… is tomorrow.”

The air felt cold. 

“What… are you talking about…?” Naruto asked, had she really come this far… just to be failed again?

What would she do? She had to… release the seal…

“I have the power to send the three of you packing back to the academy. Or to kick you out of the shinobi program altogether. So you best prepare yourselves for combat tomorrow… meet me at training grounds Three at five am sharp. Oh and you shouldn’t eat breakfast… you’ll just throw up!”

And with that, he poofed out of existence, as if he had never even been there in the first place. Stupid jounin… he was probably running off so they couldn't beat his ass for lying about their graduation.

Naruto growled and forced her way off the step, marching all the way home.

They’d show him.

**_“Kit,I think it’s time I teach you some techniques.”_ **

Damn right.

\---

**Kakashi’s Report**

_ Met with the potential Team Seven. The team gives off the appearance of being… non-functional, from a first glance, but the true test of that will be tomorrow, during sensei’s Bell test. _

_ Sasuke Uchiha reacted as expected, not surprisingly he has the desire to kill Uchiha Itachi. He seems to be distant from his classmates, also not surprising. He shows the most promise to being a shinobi, I received a report from the Hokage that I am to take him on as my solitary student, should the entire team fail, seeing as I am the only Konoha shinobi with a working Sharingan. It seems that Konoha is keen on keeping the Uchiha bloodline alive. _

_ Haruno Sakura was considered to be the top kunoichi in the class, mostly due to her extensive intelligence and mastery over the basic techniques, though she seems to be lacking in mian physical abilities. She was inquisitive throughout the meeting, intent on gaining as much information as possible. She seemed surprised by what Naruto had to say. _

_ Uzumaki Naruto… was surprising. When I entered the room she and Sakura seemed on the verge of starting a fight, only to be stopped by Sasuke when he realized I had entered the room. It appears as though Naruto provoked the fight, though she argued that it was a ‘long time coming’. Perhaps putting the two Kunoichi who obviously hate each other on the same team was a bad idea? _

_ In fact, all three of the genin seem to hate each other. Whose idea was it to place them on a squad, again? Ah, yes, Naruto is the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki and Sasuke and I have the Sharingan. Sakura is only there to balance the team further since Sasuke is a ninjutsu specialist, Naruto taijutsu, and then Sakura… perhaps genjutsu or medical techniques, judging from her academy records. _

_ Still, perhaps the team could have been well balanced… with other people. _

_ There is something else bothering me.  _

_ Naruto mentioned a promise to her “most important friend”. Upon first analysis I assumed this friend to be the Hyuuga Heristess (Naruto’s only known friend) but by the way she was deliberately avoiding the subject afterward, I surmised otherwise.  _

_ Another thing, I noticed a small flare of the Kyuubi’s chakra right before Naruto and Sakura were about to fight. Does she know? Who told her? Or is the seal weakening? Either way, I suggest that someone (hopefully the Holage, and not me) speaks to her about the issue right away, and possibly even check the seal itself. _

_ I will try to gain more information during the bell test _

_ Just one question: who the hell thought putting two kunoichi (who clearly hate each other) on my team was a good idea? _

_ \--Hatake Kakashi _


	6. Chapter 6

Naruto walked to the meeting point with an apple in hand. She bit into it, allowing the juicy nectar to fill into her mouth with a  _ crunch!  _ Her two teammates looked up at the sound. Sasuke had a look of indifferent annoyance--as per usual--at her arrival, but Sakura looked absolutely  _ livid. _

“Naruto! Our sensei told us  _ not  _ to eat!” She hissed, standing up and marching over as if she was going to steal Naruto’s apple away.

Naruto just blinked, looking at the half-eaten fruit sitting in her palm. She had completely forgotten. Why hadn’t Kurama reminded her?

**_“It was stupid and meaningless. I am not your alarm clock.”_ **

Well then, somebody wasn't in a good mood. Then again, the fox had never really been a morning person. Maybe it was passed down from Naruto…?

Kurama snorted.

Naruto shrugged, trying to remember Kaka-whatever’s words. Don't eat because you'll puke, right? Or at least something along those lines.

“Guess I’ll puke,” She said, having recalled the exact warning of why she  _ shouldn't  _ have eaten.

Not that she cared. Puking was just… what it was, and she had a strong stomach! On account of an actual fucking demon living in it. Kurama would surely give her a helping hand in keeping down her breakfast.

**_“No,”_ ** the fox immediately said, being the lazy bastard he was. Naruto wanted to smack him, but he’d dodge or block, and then probably make her toss her cookies before Kaka-whatever even got the chance.

Sakura didn’t look too appeased by her answer. Naruto took another loud, delicious bite to prove her point in not caring. She waddled over to a tree a little ways down from where Sasuke was sitting, and where Sakura returned to, probably sitting a little too close to the boy. Naruto sighed and, out of boredom she pulled out her small sketch-pad from the oversized zip-pocket of her favourite orange jacket. Het pencil guided across the page, creating a drawing of its own imagination. It looked like it was becoming Gyuki, and Naruto was just peachy with that. Bijuu remained the best thing that she could draw. 

She barely noticed the curious glances she was sent by both her teammates as time flew by, but ignored them. Who cares what they thought? She was Uzumaki Naruto and needed validation from nobody!

Kurama remained quite at the thought, though Naruto knew he wanted to say something. She mentally stuck out her tongue at him, countering the insult that went unsaid.

“Yo!"

Smoke clouded the training field and Naruto looked up to see a three-hour-late Kaka-whatever cheerily waving at the three of them. His single visible eye crinkled closed in what could only have been a smile; she stuck her tongue out at him, too.

“You’re late!” Sakura yelled, standing up as if to attack. She didn’t, of course, but continued to glare nonetheless. 

“Sorry,” He said breezily, "a black cat crossed my path and I had to take the long way around.”

Naruto chewed on the end of her pencil, “Black cats aren't back luck, y’know. That's just a superstition.”

“I’m surprised you even know what that word means,” Sakura muttered. 

Kakashi just laughed, ignoring her. So then his excuse was totally bogus. Knew it.

“It’s time for the Genin exam,” He sang, sorting through his weapons pouch, pulling out a red string with two jingling bells attached. “Your goal? To steal these bells from me.”

He then took out an alarm clock, setting it for three hours from now. Naruto raised an eyebrow.

“Whoever has a bell before the timer goes off will become a  _ real  _ Genin.”

“But… Kakashi-sensei… there are only two bells?” Sakura wiggled, anxious, “does that mean only two of us can actually become Genin?”

Sasuke let out the tiniest smidge of killer intent, determined to be the best. Naruto pretended to ignore it, and Kakashi did, too, but he was better at hiding it. Sakura squeaked, seeming to not understand what exactly was going through the air, and Naruto just sniffed at her meek expression. If this truly was a fight between the three of them, then the poor girl wouldn't stand a chance... 

Kakashi shrugged, “Not my problem,but don't worry, I'll give you two chances. One now and one after lunch. Whoever does the worst will be tied to a log, and I’ll eat my lunch in front of them.”

Ah, the real reason they weren't supposed to eat breakfast.

Cue two stomach growls. Naruto was happy she forgot to ignore his advice to not eat breakfast. Sakura and Sasuke looked to be regretting it, though. Even more so, the two of them sent evil glares her way, as if she somehow knew in advance and didn't help them.

“Oh and don’t forget to come at me with real intent to kill, or else there;s no way you’ll pass.”

Kakashi clapped his hands, and the test was on.

All three Genin dispersed.

Naruto hid in a tree, only biding her time due to Kurama’s request.

**_“If you don’t become a Genin…”_ **

_ “We’ll have to leave Konoha.” _

Kurama was perfectly content with that option, but in no way, shape, or form, was Naruto. Konoha… was everything she knew.

_ Yet _ , the deceptive little thought continued to trickle into her brain.  _ She could always stay with B and Yugito _ .

_ “Looks like we’re just gonna have to give it our best shot,”  _ Naruto internally cursed.

**_“Which has a high risk of revealing that we are communicating.”_ **

Which was a  _ bad thing _ . Kurama was hated by pretty much every person in the village, and many people hated Naruto by extension. She even knew that many suspected her of actually  _ being  _ the Kyuubi… and was just biding time, waiting for an opportunity to strike. If they knew she was activity talking, training, and plotting to remove the seal with him…

Well, they didn’t know exactly what would happen, but they knew it would be  _ bad.  _ There was no way anyone would take it well.

_ “We'll just be subtle.” _

**_“You. Subtle?”_ **

Naruto pretended not to hear the snort, or the giggle, or the ferocious laughter that followed.

_ “Oh, please, like  _ you’re  _ subtle.” _

**_“I’m a ten-story demon fox. It’s not like I can even attempt to be,”_ ** Kurama rumbled back,  **_"but you're one of them. And as far as I know, you're the least subtle human I've ever met. Even Hashirama was better."_ **

_ “I keep telling you-” _

**_“No human form.”_ **

_ “But-!” _

**_“No.”_ **

The argument so wasn't over! She was just putting it on pause for the moment, she was kind of in the middle of a timed test. 

Kakashi was still standing in the middle of the clearing having at some point pulled out a little orange book, one that she recognized from the adult-only section of the library.

**_“It's porn.”_ **

_ “Yeah, knew that. But why is he reading it… now? In front of children? Is he… a pedophile, or something?” _

Kurama snorted, but he still pushed some of his chakra into her veins, granting her more power. Honestly, she couldn't tell if he was mad or not. As good as she was at reading him, Kurama was an enigma. The silent action said that there would be hell to pay if the man dared lay a hand on her, which he wouldn’t because she would break it before he had the chance.

_ “Either way, time to go on the offensive.” _

She pushed herself off the tree branch, and didn't miss how she passed by a hidden Sasuke, she landed heavily in the training field’s clearing; Kakashi seemed surprised by her entrance.

“You're just... jumping out? Shinobi are supposed to keep themselves hidden,” He warned.

“Can’t really steal the bells if I do that, can I?”

“Traps. Long-range weapons, jutsu…”

"Let's see," She hummed, continuing off the list, “boring, never work, don’t know many long-range ones.”

She had recently been learning how to do a… ‘beast ball’, or something, but it was still a work in progress. For right now, she could only really manipulate his chakra into physical form… which she couldn’t use in front of Kakashi, because then she would be dragged off to seal-city, or something.

“Well then, Ninja Art One it is. Taijutsu.”

Upon his introduction, she threw herself forward, immediately going on the offensive. She threw out a punch that was easily dodged, then followed up with a kick. Also dodged. How fast was this guy? At this rate, she’d have to start pumping chakra into her muscles. Kurama did so of his own will upon the thought. Which she didn't want in the off case that he was capable of telling the difference between Bijuu chakra and human chakra. But he still pumped her with it, anyways, it was his natural reaction to any combat scenario.

“Alright then, Kaka-sensei, come at me,” She grinned when he faltered.

“Kaka-sensei," He said bewildered.

She stuck out her tongue and continued her barrage of attacks, kicking off the air when he attempted to jab at her, and she retaliated by throwing down a volley of shuriken. Surprisingly, Kakashi-sensei took no notice of the attack, rather, catching the three shurikens with his fingers and letting them dangle there.

She cursed, landing on the ground and immediately charging. He threw the shuriken vaguely in the direction she had seen Sasuke--sucks to be him. She met him with a roundhouse kick, which he caught, she bounced back and threw a punch and another kick, both missing by margins.

Kakashi tossed her away, she barely had the time to right herself, the soles of her feet slamming against a tree for a second for she kicked off, using the easy momentum to strengthen a kick, and grinned when Kakashi had no other choice but to block. Oh! That had to hurt.

He didn't show it, though, rather flipping her and grabbing the back of her jacket, using her own momentum against her to fling Naruto through the air. Which, of course, she didn't have time to right herself against. Naruto got a face full of dirt.

“You are nowhere near the level needed to kill me,” Kakashi commented, flipping a page of his book as if to prove his point.

Damn. He was right, though.

If only she could use Kurama’s chakra…

She'd just have to settle for her own.

She made a hand seal and five clones popped into existence. A sixth was further away behind Kakashi, lurking up behind him while her and the frontal-team charged. He was distracted enough for her to grab hold of him and slam her foot into his face, but as if by magic he disappeared, morphing into one her shadow clones. The clone grunted before dispersing into smoke, and Naruto, betrayed by her own momentum slammed face first into the ground. 

What?

Substitution?

She turned, there was no sight of Kakashi-sensei. She hissed, her clones popping out of existence and flooding her with the unused chakra. Not that she needed it.

“Running? I thought you were better than that,” She huffed.

She heard the break of a twig--Sasuke? Sakura? Kakashi?--and immediately started moving in that direction. Only to be stopped in her tracks; something hard tugged at her ankle and she flew upwards, turning her upside down and nearly spilling her breakfast.

Okay, so maybe the puking comment had been valid.

She wriggled in the rope, grunting, and heard the sound of clashing metal from another part of the forest. Probably Sasuke facing off against Kakashi. Did the Jounin really write her off that easy? Just because she fell for one substitution?

She groaned and pulled a kunai, easily cutting the rope and twirling to land heavily on her feet. Then, she was off, sprinting in the direction of the noise. Sure enough, Kakashi was in a battle against Sasuke. She was about to step in when Kakashi had successfully blocked three of Sasuke’s hits, but holy fuck! Sasuke flipped upside down and landed on a single hand, the other reaching forward and... shit! Did he just touch a bell? Naruto hadn't even gotten close!

Well… he was from a big clan, so he probably had a lot of taijutsu lessons as a kid…

She sat back in the bushes, watching as Sasuke anxiously looked around, trying to find Kakashi, and not there! She hissed, feeling the chakra flare from beneath the ground.

“Look out!”

She was already running, but there wasn't enough time. She kicked off the ground, launching herself forward at speeds faster than a sprint, hands outstretched and just  _ barely  _ managing to push Sasuke out of the way as hands popped up from the ground like a corpse being resurrected. If she had been any later than they surely would have grabbed Sasuke's ankles, and then what?

Thinking fast, she threw a kunai at one of those hands and they disappeared in a pool of smoke.

“Shadow clone?” She hissed.

Sakura screamed in the distance.

“How many did he make? Where the hell is the real one?!” She cursed, pushing herself off of Sasuke and taking off again.

“Hey!”She turned around--and yep, Sasuke was glaring at her, go figure.

“What?” She hissed, eyes narrowing, “can't you see I’m busy?”

“... don’t interfere.” 

“What?”

“I said don’t interfere! That was my battle!”

She crossed her arms, cocking her hip to the side, “Uh, yeah, and you were about to  _ lose _ moron. If I hadn't stepped in then you would be neck-deep in dirt, buddy."

Sasuke made some weird noise and bit his lip, clearly mad about that fact himself. She stuck her tongue out at him. Before he could retort, she took that as an opportunity to continue running to Sakura, calling over her shoulder, “Could’ve said thank you, y’know!”

Sakura wasn’t hard to find, she was in the same spot that her scream had come from, and unconscious. There didn’t seem to be any physical damage, but… well, Naruto wasn't a doctor or anything, so she wouldn't know.

“Sakura?” She slapped the girl across the face. 

Sakura groaned, eyes fluttering open,“Huh? Sasuke-kun?”

“Naruto- _ chan _ ,” She corrected.

Sakura pushed away from her, nose scrunching up in disgust--really? What was so wrong with Naruto that Sakura was downright  _ disgusted  _ by her presence?

“What's your problem!?”

Naruto snarled, “I came here to help.”

Sakura stared at her, shocked and appalled, “I didn't  _ ask  _ for your help!”

Naruto deadpanned, “I heard you scream bloody murder, and like the good teammate I am, I ran over to help you. Sorry if that's  _ rude  _ or  _ gross  _ or whatever it is. Next time maybe I won't bother helping you."

**_“She doesn't deserve our help.”_ **

_ “Yeah, but shhh. She's my teammate now, so, like, we need to help her." _

**_"She doesn't want our help."_ **

Sakura blinked, stopping in her attempt to edge away from Naruto. “O-oh,” She looked to be thinking for a moment before she managed to scramble her way to her feet and dust off her dress, “um, thanks then, Naruto.”

_ "See? Sakura is mean, sure, but it's not like she's a bad person. _

“Yeah,” Naruto absently picked at her ear, and, oh, Sakura looked really annoyed again, “What did Kaka-whatever do to you, anyway?”

**_"Being mean is the definition of a bad person."_ **

_ "Well you're mean but not a bad person, so what does that mean, huh, smart guy?" _

Sakura blinked before a realization dawned on her, "Uh,I… I saw Sasuke… he… Sasuke! Oh no! He's in trouble!”

“Trouble?” Naruto raised an eyebrow, watching as Sakura fluttered all through the clearing in a search for her ‘precious Sasuke’, “He was getting his ass kicked, yeah, but I helped him out. He's fine. Kakashi just tried to pull him underground, but I stopped it."

“N-no! I… I saw him! He had been stabbed by several kunai, and… what if he dies, Naruto?!” Sakura grabbed her by the scruff of her jacket and shook her wildly, when the hell did Sakura have this kind of strength? Like a behemoth! 

“When did this happen?”

“Right before I fainted…” Sakura murmured, eyes growing dark. Probably loathing herself for fainting when she was needed by a teammate.

“Yeah, and… you screamed before you fainted, right?” Naruto stuck her hands in her pockets, slouching, “well, I happen to see Sasuke  _ right before  _ you screamed.”

“Then… he's really okay?” Sakura wiped her tears, sniffing, “maybe… Kakashi-sensei used a genjutsu on me?”

Genjutsu, huh? Naruto wasn't great at that, but she vaguely knew what the term was. Sakura, though, was like, really smart. In a league of her own really, so if she thought so then Naruto would agree. 

“Probably,” She shrugged, “that guy's real tricky and real strong… I…” She looked away, “I dunno how we’re supposed to get those bells from him.”

_ Without using Kurama.  _

Sakura murmured something, rubbing her chin, “I… think I know a way that we can get them but, there are only two bells, and my plan needs all three of us… to pass. And I don't know if Sasuke-kun will agree if there's no guarantee he'll pass."

That was the puzzle of all this, wasn't it? They weren’t just battling Kakashi to actually obtain the bells, but with each other, in a race to get to them first.

And honestly? Naruto wasn't sure she was up to stuff. She may hate Sasuke, but even she had to admit that the guy was pretty damn good at what he did--fighting. And just fighting, because Naruto refused to acknowledge him as anything else. Sakura was rude and maybe not physically strong, but she had a good head on her shoulders and Naruto had to admit that she'd trust any strategy she came up with. She hadn't been top of their class (grade-wise, at least) for nothing.

And Naruto was a powerhouse, but what good was power when she couldn't even use it?

**_“I say we give up on the Genin plan and go to Gyuki.”_ **

_ “Expect Konoha knows the most about sealing. And it's where our seal originated from, Kumo won't have any answers for us. As much as I would like to go live with B and Yugito, that doesn't get us anywhere closer to our goal, freeing you." _

Kurama grumbled something under his breath, and Naruto didn't even want to know.

She sighed and cracked her knuckles; “Whatever,” She said, quickly, “lets just… uh, get the bells. Then work out what to do with them, after.”

“Really?” Sakura raised a brow, not impressed, “You’re planning on taking them for yourself, aren't you?”

Naruto shrugged, “Like you and Sasuke would let me. But, I think that we just need to work on one problem at a time. and right now, problem number one is ‘get the bells’. It's not like we can argue about who gets one when we don't even have  _ any _ ."

Sakura looked at her for a long while, serious, "Fine. Let's just find Sasuke-kun and then I'll relay the plan to both of you."

Naruto nodded, pointing, "He's that way." She didn't know why, but she had an affinity for it like she was allergic to Uchiha or something. Whenever he was in a certain radius to her, she could just  _ feel  _ his chakra oozing, like an itch she couldn't scratch.

**_“The Uzumaki Bloodline is that of chakra sensing. It’s typically only held by the kunoichi of the clan, our training must be unlocking it.”_ **

Well fuck.

_ “I’m one of those bloodline people now? Sweet.” _

**_“It's less of a Kekkei Genkai and more of just an... ability. But yes. Though you are far from mastery of it, patience kit, we’ll train after you finish your test… you still have yet to master the Bijuu-dama. My theory would be that the greater chakra control you have, the better your sensing will become."_ **

She internally debated what was cooler,blowing things up with a big-old-ball, or being able to sense chakra. Blowing things up, obviously, though it sounded like she’d get both. She conceded the argument right when she and Sakura almost ran into Sasuke; he expertly dodged out of the way.

“What is it this time?” He seethed, looking more specifically at Naruto than Sakura. Damn, he was really upset about that whole 'coming to save his ass' thing. At least Sakura thanked her.

“Teamwork, duh.”

He glowered, “I don’t need your help.”

“Yeah…” She leaned against a tree, “except, you do.”

He looked about ready to  _ kill her _ . She tutted, boys were always so testy... or, ah, maybe that was just Sasuke. Naruto didn't know too many other boys except for like, Shikamura and Choji and those weren't great examples of the average boy.

“I saw your flight earlier, Sasuke, and we both know you can't take down Kaka-sensei alone. Don't get mad, I can't either, and neither can Sakura. We all tried, and we’ve all failed," She threw up her hands, "if we don't work together then we have absolutely no chance at getting the bells."

“There are only two bells,” Sasuke reminded them, and Sakura flinched.

Naruto didn't care, “And? It Doesn't matter how many bells there are if  _ none of us can get them.  _ We can deal with who gets what after.”

**_“I will tear them to shreds if they even dare_ ** **think** **_they can take this from us.”_ **

_ “Getting into this, are we? I thought you were above ‘human matters’?” _

**_“You not becoming a Genin is disadvantageous to me. I will not allow it.”_ **

_ “Just admit that you care.” _

**_“...”_ **

Sasuke grunted, and she realized that she had spaced out in the middle of their conversation. Thanks, Kurama. 

“Oh, sorry, were you saying,  _ of course, Naruto-sama, I would be honoured to help you! _ ”

"Fine," Sasuke looked away, “the only reason I’m accepting is that I cannot allow myself to stop here.”

“Right, right, there's somebody ya gotta kill or something.”

Sasuke gave her a look promising blood murder. She breezily pushed off of the tree she was leaning, and held her hands up in surrender, turning to Sakura. “So? You’re the brainiac here, what's the plan?’

Sakura grinned in a mischievous way, a look Naruto could never have imagined on her face, and the pinkette gleefully rubbed her hands together, “Okay, here's what I got-”

Kakashi-sensei was waiting for them, she just felt it. Thrumming in her blood like she was hopped up on drugs or hormones; hormones were kind of like drugs, she thought.

She entered stage left, Sasuke to the right side of the clearing, waiting to set off the traps they had placed down. Sakura was already weaving the genjutsu, hidden in the foliage as their secret weapon. Heh, they all knew Kakashi was underestimating all three of them, sure, but Sakura the most.

And Naruto?

Of course, what else would she do but be the initial distraction? Sasuke was strong in  _ technique _ , sure, but if Naruto was anything to this team formation it was the powerhouse.

**_"And loud. Distracting-"_ **

_ "Didn't ask for your opinion." _

“I’ve come back for those bells of yours, Kaka-sensei.”

He eye-smiled at her, still reading his book, “Then I hope you’re going to try harder than last time.”

“Damn straight!” She cursed, rushing forward. “I’ll make sure you never underestimate me again!” She hissed, throwing a kick.

She just had to distract him for forty seconds, long enough so Sakura could finish casting the genjutsu. It didn't sound like much in theory, but in battle? Every second was a fight for your life. She was already starting to sweat a little, and they’d only been fighting for what, ten seconds?

She dodged a punch, the bastard was only using one hand. She hissed, kicking up sand as a distraction and then summoned some shadow clones. Four appeared, spreading out to attack, only thirty seconds passed and Sasuke sprung the first trap, buying her a few precious seconds to finish off her needed time. Kunai rained down from above, and if it weren't for the subtle knock against a tree warning her, she would have been skewered. 

Kakashi managed to dodge the kunai, but that wasn't the intention. By now the genjutsu would have been set in, and Sasuke knew that. He set off three traps in quick succession before laughing himself forward. He combatted Kakashi far easier than Naruto had earlier, pushing him towards the flinging traps. And... she wasn't jealous! She would never be jealous of some stupid Uchiha.

However, the traps didn't work. Kakashi easily avoided the traps, and kicked Sasuke straight in the stomach.

Sakura was by his side in an instant, yelling, “Sasuke!”, throwing a kunai with a bomb-tag attached. He nodded, moving out of the way and allowing the explosion to create a field of dust and debris, and at this signal Naruto ordered her clones forward.

By the time the dust cleared and the debris settled, Kakashi was surrounded.

“Well, well,” Kakashi eye-smiled.

Sasuke went to move forward--

And the alarm went off.

“Looks like you all failed.”

…

Nobody moved. Naruto smirked and all of her clones mirrored the reaction.

“You’re all rather chipper, considering how you’re all going to be sent back to the academy.”

“No, we’re not,” Sasuke smirked, a twinge of amusement in his eyes.

“Oh?” Kakashi asked, smug as ever. Was he just playing them? Or had they genuinely tricked him? Heh. Some Jounin.

“Sakura-”

“Right.” The girl made a couple of hand seals, and the genjutsu faded. All of Naruto’s clones dispersed at the same time, and when the smoke disappeared it was shown that the clone closest to Sasuke had been the real Naruto, and the doppelganger at the forefront was a farce. In the real Naruto’s hand were two jingling bells between her fingers.

“Oh, so you three managed to grab the bells after all,” He didn’t seem surprised.

Fuck, he knew what they were doing all along! And he just... let them!

“But what are you going to do now? There are only two bells and three of you.”

Great, the problem she had been procrastinating on came rearing its ugly head.

“...”

Naruto fidgeted with the bells, and she immediately felt an intense gaze from Sasuke. He was silently demanding to be given one, and Naruto wholly chose to ignore him. Sakura, being far more timid and far less determined than Sasuke flinched, not knowing whether to demand or acquiesce. It was Sakura's plan, but Naruto took the most risk in executing it.

Who was to pass? Her  _ heart _ was telling her to give the bells to Sasuke and Sakura because she didn't have the heart to take this away from them, even if she didn't like them. But her  _ mind _ was telling her to keep a bell. Even then, who could she choose? Sasuke or Sakura? 

Naruto stuck out her tongue, because fuck both those ideas. She wasn't about to play by the rules… her name was Uzumaki Naruto and she would do whatever she wanted! Suddenly feeling invigorated, she quickly untied the bells, tossing one to both Sakura and Sasuke.

“So I see you’ve made your choice,” Kakashi commented. “So then, Naruto will be sent back to the academy. Any objections?”

Sasuke surprisingly opened his mouth,to defend her?

“Not so fast!” Naruto butted in, “I never said I was being sent back.” She quickly tied the little red string around her finger and stuck it through the air, “there may only be two bells, but there are  _ three components _ ! Like, three parts of a team!" She wiggled her finger proudly in the air, before grabbing Sasuke and Sakura hands, even though they tried to resist, "I am the  **string** that ties this team together! Because, like, without my idea of teamwork, we’d never get them in the first place!"

“...”

Sakura slapped her (large) forehead.

Sasuke looked at her with dead eyes, “Naruto, you’re an idiot."

Kakashi clapped, laughing, “That may be so, but she did actually figure out the solution to the test.”

Everyone paused. Sakura looked at Kakashi like he had grown a second head, and then she looked at Nauto like  _ she _ had grown a second head.

“Solution?’ Naruto asked, staring at the string around her finger--that had been right? Honestly, she just kind of guessed and haphazardly did something.

“No, not the string, that was weird. Out of all the Genin teams I've tested, which trust me was a lot, none have ever done that before.” Naruto wilted, but Kakashi reassured her by patting her head like a dog, “the real purpose of the test was  _ teamwork.  _ ”

Ew. Cheesy.

“Teamwork…? But, then, why would you only have two bells? Wouldn't that just make us fight?” Sakura asked.

“Just making the three of you fight doesn’t teach any lessons. The bells were designed to be both an objective to pass a team, and to tear a team apart. If the three of you were completing a  _ real  _ mission then it wouldn't matter  _ who  _ fulfilled the objective, just that it was fulfilled. There is no room for glory or fame in the shinobi world, only survival.”

“And in order to survive… you need teamwork," Sakura mirrored.

“Exactly. When the situation is life and death then there isn't time for infighting,” Kakashi said, moving across the field and towards a large rock monument, one that Naruto faintly recognized.

“Do you know the names of the people on this stone?” He asked.

Naruto shook her head. The others didn’t seem to know either, for they echoed her response.

“They are the heroes of the village… heroes who had been killed in action.”

Her heart clenched up, eyes crawling over the names. There were too many to count, had this many people really died because of Konoha?

“In the shinobi world, those who break the rules are considered scum… that is a truth we all live by, but really,” the wind blew, tussling Kakashi’s hair as he turned to look at them, “Those who abandon their friends are worse than scum. I want you three to remember this. Remember that it was your teamwork that made you successful in your mission, and not the mission itself. It didn't matter if the objective was complete for all of you, but rather that you all made it through together."

Naruto mentally grabbed Kurama.

“... Anyways! The three of you pass. Make sure to meet me here again tomorrow, six am sharp! Don’t be late!”

And then he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Well, Naruto definitely wasn't showing up until at least eight.

\---

**Kakashi’s Report**

_ The Genin team passed. _

_ Hooray? (I understand you're reading this and can't hear my sarcasm. Note: I don't want a genin team, but they figured out the test so I couldn't refuse them.) _

_ Preliminary assessment seems to reasonably match up with their actual abilities. Well, except for Naruto. _

_ Sasuke did as well as expected, maybe a bit more. He actually managed to touch the bells… alone. He has a very high level of taijutsu and ninjutsu knowledge, and was able to stand up to me in combat reasonably well, or at least well enough for me to put away my book. I would say his physical skills put him above the average Genin, though certainly not high enough yet for Chunin status. Most crucially, Sasuke lacks the ability to empathize with his teammates. Naruto had helped him during the exam and he nearly attacked her in retaliation. I understand he has trust issues, but this is something we'll need to work on in the future. _

_ Naruto actually surprised me. When did she learn the shadow clone jutsu? Her taijutsu skills are fairly good, though her strategizing needs work. While her attacks were powerful and fluid, they were easy to predict and thus easy to disarm. I was surprised that out of everyone, she was the only one who actually figured out that they needed to use teamwork to pass the test (considering she has the worst relationship with everyone)… though, she didn't seem to think that this was the case at the time, and thus pulled an… interesting stunt to try to get them all to pass. Overall, I would say the academy’s profile of her was off the mark in most categories. _

_ Notably she also ignored my rule of not eating before the exam, as in her words, she was "okay with throwing up". Naruto is very defiant to rules, which I can see being a problem in the future. _

_ Sakura is physically the weakest of the team. She has poor chakra-reserves and knows no techniques other than what the academy taught her, and unlike Naruto, doesn’t have the taijutsu skill to cover that fact. Not to say that she doesn't have her strengths since she was able to come up with a strategy that utilized the skill-set of everyone on the team in order to grab the bells, which was something the team sorely needed. She also utilized academy-level genjutsu which isn't mandatory, and thus not widely known by fresh genin. I can easily see Sakura excelling in a leadership position if she were to gain more confidence. Her dependence on Sasuke is alarming and something that we will need to work on, as she shows a high level of capability and independence when Sasuke isn't involved in a situation. _

_ Overall, despite the social-tensions of the three Genin, I would say that they work well together, and in time, will make to be a formidable trio. I highly suggest they be one of the three Genin cells selected this year. I don't look forward to it, but I also demand that if anyone gets to teach Sensei's daughter and Obito's cousin it's me. _

_ \--,Hatake Kakashi _


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I know it's a bit late tonight but I just got off work and I'm currently cooking dinner as I post this, so uh hopefully I don't miss things because of my eggs. ^^
> 
> Unpopular opinion: I'm not a huge fan of the Land of Waves arc- so, uh, we're going to speed through this a little bit so I can make the Chunin exams last hella forever.<3

Naruto stared at the letter in her hand before moving inside the Hokage Tower. The secretary lady looked at her, blinked, then waved her hand, letting her through. Naruto was honestly a little surprised that she remembered her since her visits to Jiji had been growing less and less frequently as she aged.

And as Kurama kept telling her more and more… She found herself not minding.

Still, she was basically the adoptive grandkid of the Hokage, and so she was allowed to just waltz her way inside the tower like she owned the place. Most everyone in the village knew her- either as a loudmouth brat or the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki - so nobody stopped her as she opened the doors of Jiji’s office, unannounced.

“What's this letter about, Jiji?” She asked, muscling her way inside regardless of what was happening. What was the worst that would happen- she'd get scolded? Ha! Yet, when she saw who was already inside she froze.

“Kaka-sensei?”

The man gave her his patented eye-smile while placing a folder onto the Hokage’s desk, “Just dropping off a report, Naruto.” Despite the easy words. he seemed tense when he looked at her.

She pouted. “Okay…?”

Jiji cleared his throat, “Hatake was just leaving. Why don’t you have a seat, Naruto-chan?”

She did as she was told, watching as Kakashi lazily walked out with a cheery wave to the both of them. Then, her eyes narrowed on Jiji. The air in the room was thick with tension, and she fought to swallow back her anxieties. Kurama mentally patted her with his tail, trying to calm her fluttering nerves. The fur on his tail swiped across her mental body's nose.

She sneezed.

“Bless you,” Jiji laughed, before turning a little serious, “Now, do you know why I called you here, Naruto-chan?”

She shifted, “Not really? Is it to congratulate me on becoming an awesome Genin? Because we coulda' met at Ichiraku for that,” she pouted.

He laughed again, smoking his pipe and blowing off the steam. She sneezed again, “Not quite.”

“Then what?” She asked, rubbing her nose.

“Kakashi told me some things about your Genin test, some things about your abilities that made both of us worried about you, and I figured now was the time to tell you something that I have been meaning to for… far too long.”

She froze in her seat.

Was this it?

Was he finally going to tell her that she was a Jinchuuriki? 

Honestly, the scene had played out many times in her head. Her accidentally admitting that she knew, some enemy-nin finding out and spilling the beans, or some disgruntled Konoha-citizen saying the truth to spite her. In all situations, she would have to come clean on her own that she originally figured it out. Only in a couple of her predictions did the reveal revolve her being sat down and actually _told_ the truth by someone she trusted, and when she did imagine that, It always involved screaming and crying and misunderstandings. Then they’d go out for ramen after, and Naruto would clean out his wallet, and everything would be fine.

Then she wouldn’t have to keep this secret anymore. Or, at least, not all of it.

But now that it was happening?

She didn’t know what to do, except sit there.

“He reported sensing two different types of chakra from you. Did you know that was happening, Naruto?”

Oh. he did it. He dropped the ‘chan’.

_Things were getting serious._

“Uh… no? I… is that weird?” She decided her best route would be to play dumb. 

Nobody could have known she was friends with the Ninetails.

It would ruin everything. If they knew that she knew - that she had _known for half her life_ \- they would immediately fear her. They would look at the seal and see that it was loosened, weakened- purposefully. They would accuse her of... she didn't even know! Nothing good. People were too afraid of Bijuu. _Humans_ were too quick to judge.

(It was her greatest source of pride, but she wasn't allowed to tell. People were too afraid of him. Too afraid of her, and what she could do in cahoots with a demon.)

(She hated it)

...

Kurama mentally patted the shoulder of her mind's body.

Jiji took another steady whiff of his pipe, probably settling his own nerves. Did Jiji even get nervous? He had to, he was as human as everyone else was. “It is unusual but not heard of for people to have more than one chakra source. Though you, especially, belong to a very small group of people who were made to have two sources."

She fidgeted. That wasn't... a great start to explain what a Jinhcuuriki was. Great. The most important moment in her life, and he wasn't even doing it well.

“Does that make me, like, super cool, or something?”

Jiji didn’t laugh, this time. She almost expected him to, just so that the tension could break. Just a little. They both needed it.

“I suppose. Those like you, who have two chakra sources, are incredibly strong. But, it comes with a price: they are often made targets because of their abilities," he blew out another cloud of smoke, “I’m sure you’re aware of the Kyuubi no Kitsune attack, yes?”

Of course. Everyone in the village was aware. they had a fucking celebration on the anniversary every. Single. Year. Not that Naruto ever participated in people celebrating the supposed death of her best friend, but she was aware of the festivities.

“It happened on my birthday.”

A general enough statement. She couldn't hide the undermine of bitterness in her voice- the only person who had ever celebrated her birthday with her was Kurama... and even then, he wasn't very enthusiastic. She couldn't blame him for that, though.

“That's right. What I’m sure you don’t know, is that the Kyuubi… never really died. You can't kill a Bijuu, you see.”

Oh, yes. Yes, you _can_.

Not that she’d tell anybody that.

“Bijuu are too strong for us to kill, and they are too strong for us to physically contain. So, we had to engineer a new way- in order to kee the world safe, you must understand. Bijuu are very dangerous creatures, and so we can to come up with a way to contain them... which ended up being sealing. We had to seal the Bijuu so that they could no longer roman free, able to attack anything they see fit. Naruto, do you understand what I'm saying?"

Unable to say yes, unable to even stomach the words; to acknowledge this horrible way of thinking that subjugated anything that humans were afraid of. That labelled her best friend nothing but a bloodthirsty Monster that they only contained because they couldn't kill him.

She couldn't.

So she latched onto the part of his explanation that she could stomach, “You mean, like… storage scrolls?”

She'd already been through explanation many times via Kurama. He was always better at explaining it- since he didn't have to pull any punches. He didn't have to pretend that it was anything it was not.

Jinhcuuriki were considered many things: sacrifices, cages, protectors. But Naruto knew better- she knew the Bijuu she was supposed to be guarding, protecting the people from. Naruto knew the truth. She wasn't some golden saint taht had sacrificed herself in order to contain the disgusting, horrible monster. The Shinobi world long since stopped caring about protecting themselves from Bijuu after Kurama was first sealed away.

She wasn't a protector.

_She was a weapon._

And Sarutobi was sorely mistaken if he thought she would so easily believe him and his lies. She was forced into the academy. She had no doubt that if she hadn't pulled the stunt she did during the Bell Test that they oud have been passed anyways- purely out of the need to train their Jinhcuuriki- their weapon. Sasuke, too, was probably considered as much of a weapon as she was.

Huh. She hadn't thought of that before.

Sasuke, the Last Uchiha, was probably as much of a weapon in Konoha's eyes as she was. Konoha wasn't the belly little community its reputation pretended to be: it was a war machine, just like the other villages were. And maybe that wasn't inherently bad - the Shinobi in Konoha had a choice of enlisting, after all - but she was disgusting by the thought that they used children as weapons.

Ah...

Not disgusted enough to leave, though. As much as Konoha needed her for protection, she equally needed Konoha, as well.

“Very similar to storage scrolls, yes. Expect... inanimate objects are not strong enough. Bijuu is evil creatures made completely of hateful chakra and... if the container does not have a working chakra system then the explosive power of a Bijuu's chakra would just breakthrough. The sealing process is very dangerous, and there has never been an instance of sealing Bijuu where there hasn't been at least one casualty. We needed to find a long-term solution. So... our best solution would be to contain the Bijuu in creatures with chakra systems that were large enough to store condensed Bijuu chakra," he took a steady breath, and Naruto cringed even though she thought she was comfortable with what he was saying, " _Humans_. The only thing we found able to contain a Bijuu safely for more than a year were humans."

A breath, a pause.

And Naruto's heart was teetering over the edge. She had known this fact for so... so long. And yet- and yet... she never imagined this. She was sweating, her heart hammering and mouth dry-

For some reason... she felt vindicated.

Years of being the village pariah without knowing the cause, gone. Years of pretending that she didn't know the truth, gone. Years of hiding what she could truly do, gone.

It was out in the open, officially. 

Yet.

She was still angry. Angry at the selfishness of people, of her village. Angry at the world, for having to create Jinhcuuriki. Angry at the Bijuu for gaining a horrible reputation in the first place.

Angry at herself, for just sitting there and not doing anything to correct an old man that she loved like a grandfather.

(Kurama wrapped his tails around her mental body in the most comforting gesture he could.)

_**"This is beyond you. This cycle of hatred has existed for many lifetimes before yours."** _

_"Maybe it didn't start with me, but it will be with me."_

**_"Not today. You be quiet. If we're caught now, then we won't have a chance in the future. This is about biding our time, kit."_ **

If they bided their time longer enough Kurama would end up in a fourth Jinhcuuriki.

_"... Fine. Only because you asked me to."_

"And, Naruto, you’re one of those people. I… I should have told you this earlier, I know… but now I'm trying to set things right. You became an official Konoichi recently, and soI believe it's time to tell you of your true potential: you’re the container of the Kyuubi no Kitsune.”

Naruto stayed silent for a long while.

“... okay.”

“Okay?” he seemed surprised by her reaction.

“I-I mean…” she had to play it up. Kurama kicked the walls of the seal _right where it hurts_ and made her eyes water. She hid her face and forced herself to frown, "I get it. I mean, I don't like it- but I get it. I've always been different... and I think that now I know... I don't know how to feel. Just- this is why? This is why everyone has been so...?"

Tears rushed to her eyes when he kicked that same spot again. She watched Sarutobi's eyes track the tear's movement down her cheek. 

_“Nice touch, Kurama."_

He gave her a furry thumbs-up, cackling.

Sarutobi seemed to understand, and a grimace graced his features, "Yes. I'm sorry you only then to find out now- but I couldn't let your status as a Jinhcuuriki put you in harm's way... from your enemies or yourself. I've made laws to protect you. Naruto-chan. Nobody was allowed to tell you, and I wanted to wait for the right time. When you were old enough to understand. I wanted to wait until you had become a Kunoichi- when I believed you were mature enough to bear the weight of this responsibility."

He sounded so... _sincere_. Like he truly was sad. Like he truly wanted to protect her. It was then that Naruto remembered that Sarutobi had not done this to her- he had not sealed the Kyuubi within her. The Fourth did. Still. According to history, he had Hokage when the Kyuubi was transferred to the second host.

He was a part of this.

And yet... 

Naruto forgave him. Even if she was still mad.

(Kurama growled.)

She reached across the table and held Jiji's hand- wrinkly but warm. Something familiar and sweet. The only human family she had.

“There's nothing we can do about it, right? And… and… if it’s to keep everyone safe…”

Sarutobi smiled. His hand squeezed hers.

“I’m glad you feel that way.”

She didn’t. Buts he could pretend to.

* * *

They had partaken in several… ‘missions’ since becoming Genin. Missions, as in _chores_. Not missions. Namely, cleaning up trash, babysitting, dog walking… and finding lost demon cats. Seriously, Kurama was more well-behaved than that thing and he was _literally a demon._

She scoffed when Kakashi said they were on raking duty that day.

“This is so lame!” She cursed, “We’re ninja, aren't we? I wanna do a real mission! Like- something _super cool!_ ”

Kakashi gave her a _look_.

She stuck her tongue out at him. She was living with a Bijuu- as if some petty glare could scare her!

“I… um, sensei? I think, uh, that I... might _agree_ with her. What do these missions have to do with being a shinobi?” Sakura looked like a scolded dog, or maybe Hinata, pushing her fingers together anxiously. Heh. The poor girl was always a suck up to the teachers are the academy.

Sasuke crossed his arms and nodded, giving his signature _hmpf._ Wow. What a great addition to the conversation.

Kakashi frowned, realizing that a mutiny was forming, "There is a reason why we perform these missions, kiddos. You might think that it's a waste of time, but they're building an important skill.

All three of them sent him an unimpressed look.

“Teamwork. D-Rank missions are designed to improve teamwork before we actually go out into the field to do dangerous work. Also, the village just needs some things done,” he laughed.

“Who cares. We have great teamwork! And civilians can walk dogs! We were trained for a reason!”

Sasuke and Sakura agreed wholeheartedly. They were ready for this! Teamwork was important and all, but how were they supposed to improve their actual combat skills without actually fighting? Weeding didn't do anything but hurt her wrist.

“Maa,” Kakashi sighed, “Perhaps… we could speak to the Hokage. We've completed a number of D-rank missions, so it might be time for us to try a C-rank."

Her fist shot in the air, victorious. Sakura, surprisingly, accepted her high-five. Unsurprisingly, Sasuke didn’t, but he did smirk at Naruto- the light shining in his eyes in a victorious way that made her feel like they were on the same page for the first time, like, ever.

They all marched down to the tower, and Naruto was grinning from ear to ear.

Jiji gave her a wave and a smile when they entered, but it was tense and nervous. They may have ended things nicely the other day, but it wasn't like all that tension just snapped out of existence. Naruto easily grinned at him to lighten the atmosphere, and waltzed over to his desk, “We’d like a _good_ mission, please!”

He sighed, “Naruto-chan-”

“Don’t!” She hissed, tutting a finger at him, “You, like, totally owe me, Jiji! I feel like I'm owed at least a couple of favours after our last talk. y' know." Sartuoni clinched and her teammates looked at strangely- probably thinking just what the hell Uzumaki Naurot could be holding over the Hokage's head.

He still looked reluctant, and so she pulled out the big guns and batted her eyelashes at him, "And I promise I’ll be good! Don't you want me to get some experience outside of the village, _Jiji_?"

Hook. Line. And, sinker.

he was never able to resist her when she pulled out the grandfather card.

He gave her a long-suffering look before rifling through the papers on his desk. Heh. Nobody could resist that classic Uzumaki charm! Or... maybe it was the favour that she held over his head. Not taht it was really a favour, but she felt like she was owed for twelve years of ignorance.

“There's a C-Rank here,” he said, looking past her and towards Kakashi, "An escort mission. The bridge builder, Tazuna, wants protection on his journey back to the Land of Waves.”

Naruto shot her teammates a look akin to that of a smug cat. Sakura pumped her fist in return, a sparkle in her eyes.

As if on cue, a door to the side opened and a man absolutely _reeking_ of sake stepped through the door. Thanks to her demonically-enhanced senses, she nearly fell over and hurled. Instead, she pulled together what will-power she could, and held her nose shut with her fingers. 

“What is this sorry lot? One of them can't even handle breathing!”

Naruto blanched when she opened her mouth- it got _worse worse worse,_ “Just so you know, dude, Shinobi have heightened senses. If the average Shinobi has double your sense of smell, then I have quadruple. And, uh, you reek, mister.”

“Naruto!” Sakura hissed, batting her over the head, “Don’t be rude to the client!”

“Maybe the client shouldn’t be _rude_ to my nose!”

“Naruto-chan, don’t make me regret giving you this chance,” Jiji warned. 

Naruto’s head flipped over to stare at him, and she hissed. “No! No! No! I’ll be good, I promise!” Just to make a point of it, she let her nose go and was immensely grateful to Kurama when he toned down her heightened sense of smell. Now, at the very least, she could breathe.

“Well in that case,” Kakashi smoothly interrupted before she could comment and make things worse, “Why don’t you kids run to collect your things? The Land of Waves will take us three days on foot, and while we shouldn't be expecting any fights-" Naruto noticed Tazuna shifting at that, "Please get whatever materials you would need for a combat mission. Meet us by the gates in two hours.”

Wanting to get away as soon as possible, to clear her palate of _stink_ , Naruto gave Kakashi a mock-salute and rushed out of the room, her fellow Genin not too far behind.

She skipped all the way home. Her backpack was pretty much bursting with snacks, spare clothes, and ninja tools… and her faithful wallet, Gama-chan, of course. What if there were souvenirs? She looked at the little stuffed fox that she had sitting next to her pillow, and contemplated grabbing it… it was, after all, one of her favourite possessions from childhood. She named it Kurama and snuggled it when the real Kurama was too grumpy.

But... if Sasuke or Sakura saw it? A stuffed animal? She’d look lame, wouldn’t she? But, at the same time, she had never been out of the village before. And as much as she hated to admit it, she was scared.

**_“I’ll be here.”_ **

Right. Kurama.

Nothing can beat the original, could it? Naruto nodded and left towards the village gates. She had made sure to bring her sketchbook- for good reason, too. Even though Kaka-sensei said two hours, he was late by three. She drew a handsome picture of Kurama in that time. Sakura (not so)subtly edged closer to her- probably trying to sneak a peek over her shoulder, and Naruto innocently flipped her book closed and slipped it in her backpack just as Kakashi appeared with Tazuna by his side. Maybe it was the fresh air, or maybe the bridge-builder ate breath-mint, but the smell wasn't as bad as before. She could tolerate it, at least.

“Alright kiddo’s, let get a move on. We'll want to set up camp before sundown.”

And then they were off.

“I can't believe it, we're leaving the village!” Naruto whispered, turning to Sakura, just as they stepped past the village gates and officially out in the open. She took in a big breath- her first breath outside of Konoha. It smelled the same.

**_"Of course it does, idiot."_ **

“Have you… never left?” The pink-haired girl asked in return, looking bewildered.

Naruto quickly shook her head, “No," she answered solemnly, the truth almost slipping out that she, the Jinchuuriki, wasn't really allowed to leave unsupervised. Instead, she settled for a more moderate truth, "But I’ve always wanted to leave… like, we don’t get a lot of snow, y’know?”

“You… like the snow?”

She threw her hands up in excitement, “Yup! Winters the best! I don’t get cold easily, so it’s real fun to play outside in the snow. When my breath gets all foggy I feel like- like a dragon! And fall's great, too, because of all the crunchy leaves! Summer is fun, too... ah, I guess I like every season."

And celebrating her birthday with Kurama. October was his favourite month, so he was always really happy. The Kyuubi festival was a bit of a downer, but they had their own fun at that time.

“Oh. I like spring because that's when the flowers bloom. Everything is so pretty then!"  
Naruto laughed, “I bet you like the Sakura Festival, huh, Sakura?”  
The pinkette blushed, eyes falling to Sasuke who was up ahead of the group, “Well, I’d like it more if a _certain person_ asked me to go…”

Naruto grinned, knowing exactly how to tease her, “Ya mean me, right? Yeah, sure, we can go! I’ll make us a picnic, and everything!” It would be fun if Hinata came, too. And she supposed she could tolerate it if Sasuke came. Sakura would like that, at least.

“Naruto!” Sakura slammed her fists against her head- and, why was she always so violent? And people called _Naruto_ un-ladylike. “You know that's not what I meant!”

She stuck out her tongue, rubbing the sore-spot. She looked at where Sasuke was across from them, not quite out of ear-shot, but what did she care? She had insulted him worse to his face before. “Whatever. I’ve never seen what everyone loved about him. He's just some stuck up brat.”

“That's what you are, Naruto.”

“Nu-uh! I’m a _loud_ brat!”

“Like that's any better?!”

Naruto caught Sasuke’s eyes- he was smirking. What a guy, huh? Laughing at her? She'd see who was laughing when she socked him.

“Ya got a problem?”

“Not at all, Loud Brat," that was perhaps the most laughing tone she had ever heard him speak in before... and it was barley non-monotone.

Jeez. Everyone was just digging into her, today?  
 ** _“Including yourself.”_**

_“Whatever.”_

She was _cool,_ they just didn't know that. But they’d see, eventually. They were on a cool mission, now, and so it was a chance to finally show how cool she was. And how strong she was. And all sorts of stuff. Like,s he would-

Her foot was suddenly wet.

“Huh?”

She stared down at the puddle below her- and recognized the ripple of chakra that came from it. How had she not noticed that before? Was this...genjutsu, or something? How do you dispel genjutsu again? She was _sure_ they went through it in the academy, at some point.

"There's a puddle here?" That had chakra in it, for some reason. Her budding sensor abilities shrieked with a warning she didn't quite catch.

“Naruto! Stop being so clumsy!” Sakura scolded.

She pouted, stepping out of the puddle and shaking off her leg, “I think there's something wrong?” she sniffed, “like, there's some chakra or something?”

“Chakra?” Sakura asked, turning to look at-

Suddenly there a clang of metal- and then Sakura _screamed._ Naruto only turned in time to see the tail-end of it, the chain wrapping around her teacher and the sickening tear flesh. And then two men were rushing her. Naruto didn't scream, but she felt close to it- just barely dodging out of the way as the chains reached out to rip _her_ into pieces- Kurama pushed chakra to her coils, and she growled as his demonic nature flooded her senses.

But Sasuke was there first. He threw a kunai and it hit the center of a chain, forcing it backwards and slamming it to a tree and trapping the man who had attacked her. Sasuke launched on his captured target, aiming to disable him before he could break free. But the other one was left unoccupied and was quickly moving towards Tazuna, who was only being protected by a shaking-Sakura.

“Sakura-!” She hissed, throwing some shuriken to occupy the rogue ninja for a few precious seconds. He turned, deflecting them with his chain right as Naruto charged. She managed to slam her foot against the guy’s head, but in return, he stabbed her in the thigh with clawed-blade.

**_“Poison! I can get rid of it, but don't absorb any more. It's very potent."_**

She grunted, landing to her feet and ignoring the fact that her leg was a bloody mess. It’d heal in about a half-hour… and Kurama could easily take care of the poison, too. That was just one of the benefits of being a Jinchuuriki- the healing powers.

The clawed hand moved to strike her down again, and Naruto quickly tossed another set of kunai up at the man- one of them sunk halfway into his shoulder while the others missed, but that was just fine with her. She held out her palm and began preparing for a beast ball- with adrenaline pumping through her veins and in the haze of instincts and fight and _survive_ she forgot that's he had an audience.

Protect. Fight. Kill. Survive.

Attack!

The Bijuu-dama was only half-formed in her hand- she hadn't quite gotten the gang of yin release, yet, but it was still enough to do the trick. It exploded, and in the close range there was no way the enemy-nin would be able to avoid the damage… and luckily for her, the explosion was all condensed Kyuubi-chakra, which was completely harmless to her. But not to him. the Kyuubi-chakra slammed into him while harmlessly sticking and reabsorbing into her skin.

The man flew back, but just because he was down didn't mean that he was out. He was getting up and swinging his chain at her immediately. Her leg twinged when she tried to move out of the way, and she knew she wouldn't be able to dodge in time… what was the best area for her to sacrifice? Arm? Kurama could regenerate arms faster than legs because they ere smaller, but it took more work to get used to a reformed worst than foot...   
There wasn't any need for sacrifice, as Kakashi-sensei literally resurrected himself on the spot and immediately slammed the chain to the ground before rushing the enemy and giving him a practiced wack to the base of the neck.

“Naruto!” Sakura hissed, rushing over, “Kakashi-sensei… she's injured! I saw that man attack her leg!"

“Hey, hey, calm down! It's not even that bad-” she whined, trying to push away prodding hands as Sakura tore out her med-kit, “It's just a little scratch, really. And I _heal fast_ ,” she stated, looking Kakashi straight in the eye.

He flinched, knowing exactly what he was saying. So, Jiji must have informed him that he knew. Or, maybe he figured out that he knew on his own.

“Maa maa, Naruto-chan, these blades are poisoned.”

She shrugged, “I have a good _immune system,_ " she stressed, hoping Kakashi would take the freaking hint and back off, "No poison can take me down!”

Kakashi sat back, seemingly content despite how you could see Naruto’s fatty tissue through the wound (a normal person would require stitches and hospitalization), but Sakura was not as easily swayed. After all, she didn't Naruto had super-human healing. Sakura saw him relaxing and pouted when she realized that her medical skills weren't as needed as she had thought, but that'd din;t mean she gave up her endless prodding at Naruto's leg.

“Naruto, that's not how immune systems work! At least sit down for a second so that I can clean and bandage the wound."

Sakura wasn't really asking, and pretty much shoved Naruto on her butt and started working while Kakashi tied the enemies to a tree. Sakura was tutting while she pushed on the sides of the blood- because, somehow, making her lose blood was supposed to make it better? Naruto didn't understand. Kurama had already cleaned out the poison and would have already begun stitching together the fat and tissue if Sakura wasn't watching. Sasuke walked over to them and eyed her wound, looking… well, actually, she couldn’t quite identify what that expression meant. He was looking Sasuke-ish.

“What did you do?” He suddenly asked.

Naruto looked up, feeling bitter by the way he was leering over them, “Huh? I got myself stabbed, that's what I did. Wanna rub it in my face or something?”

“Not that,” Sasuke’s glare sharpened, “That technique. What was that?”

"Wow, glad to see that you care so much about my wound," she rolled her eyes.

"You said it was fine," he defended himself, "Now tell me what that attack was."

“Actually, I’m curious to know, too,” Kakashi swooped in, dusting off his hands, “That didn't look like any jutsu that I’ve seen before.”

“Uh-” she winced when Sakura poured in some disinfectant, “That's because I made it up! It’s an Uzumaki Special!” She winked, holding a thumbs up.

Kakashi's lone eye widened, "You created your own technique? Naruto you do understand what kind of accomplishment that is, right?"

She frowned, "Well considering how the Jutsu didn't work in the way I wanted it to, and accidentally blew up- no. I don't think it's a big accomplishment."

“Either way... what do you call it?” Sakura asked- looking like a curious puppy-dog, before she blushed and turned away, “Uh, techniques need to have names, right?”

Naruto shrugged, “I’m still working on it. It wasn't supposed to explode on the spot like that- but, uh, my chakra control kind of sucks, so that's what happened. The just sin;t complete so I don't have a name.” She tried to laugh off their strange, probing stares. She couldn't exactly tell them that it was a technique only Bijuu and Jinhcuuriki could do and that she was personally being taught by the Kyuubi no Kitsune, could she?

Kakashi would probably flip his shit and tell Jiji. 

“Okay- all done,” Sakura grinned, pulling back as she finished the last tie of the bandages. 

Naruto expertly swung her leg around, grinning when she didn't feel much pain. Kurama must have already begun closing the wound. “Thanks, Sakura-chan! You’re pretty good at this kind of stuff, huh?”

The pinkette blushed, “Well, I took a course on it…”

“You should become a doctor! I think people should always follow their talents, eh?"

The embarrassed flush grew darker- but before Sakura had the chance to say anything more, Kakashi was stepping rustling around. 

“Tazuna,” he warned, the air chilling, “The two men that attacked us… they are B-ranked missing-nin. Whatever this mission is, I’m sure it's outside of our original parameters. We were only supposed to face bandits- and even then that's a _maybe_. But definitely not trained Shinobi from an enemy village."

Tazuna flinched, "I... I don't know what y-you're talking about. Those men... I didn't know they were coming!"

Kakashi's eye sharpened, and suddenly a trickle of killing-intent hit the air, "Judging by how nervous you've been the entire time, I would say that you did. And yet, you knowingly hired a team of _children_. And one of them is hurt."  
Naruto took personal offence to both of those things.

Kakashi targeted his back, "If we had been told of the danger then a proper team would have been assigned this mission- and then one of my team members wouldn't be hurt. You put a child in danger."

The bridge builder gulped, and… really, Naruto had forgotten that he was there.

“I… I had no choice! I needed a ninja team or... or he-he's going to kill me!” The man cursed, hysterical. He grabbed his face and looked about ready to cry, "We didn't have the money to afford anything but a C-ranked mission. I didn't know that a team of children would come with me! I even tried to get a new team back at the office, but your Holage refused!"

“Who? Who is going to kill you?!"

“Gato… he's one of the richest men in the elemental nations; he's a businessman on the surface, but in the underworld? He's a drug and weapons smuggler. I’m trying to build a bridge, you see, on that will connect Wave with the mainland, and if I do so it will ruin Gato’s operation. He can't control the monopoly of our nation and take advantage of our shipping ports if we have people bringing goods in by the bridge. Yet, because of him, my country is in huge debt and without the bridge… my people will starve,” the man took a breath, shuddering, “A B-mission was all we could afford.”

“Still- you lied to us. You endangered our lives by your foolishness, and now Naruto has been injured! This team has never been in a real combat situation before- we can't continue this mission."

Tazuna looked ready to cry. Gross. She _so_ didn’t want to see that.

“Kaka-sensei!” She hissed, squirming past Sakura’s protests not to move her injured leg, and pushing herself to her feet, “You can't stop the mission because of me! I’m fine-!” she hopped up and down and ran in a circle as if to prove her point. Sakura had banged the wound, and so Kurama eagerly took the chance to begin healing it. It was almost completely closed by now.

“That still doesn't change the fact that this has already changed to a B-ranked mission. You three are Genin without any practical experience… you’re not ready for this," he shook his head and- holy shit, since when was Kakashi ever this serious? He turned back to the bridge-builder, "Tazuna you knowingly hired a group of children to protect you while under threat of assassination. I'm afraid I can't let my team continue."  
“Not ready?! Did you _not_ just see me and Sasuke take down two missing-nin?” She growled, pointing at the black-haired boy.

Sasuke seemed to agree, crossing his arms and huffed, nodding, “We took them down, and Sakura protected the client. Without your help.”

That wasn't exactly true, but Naruto could see they immediately wore Kakashi down.

"Sasuke took down a missing-nin, but Naruto you were hurt. What would have happened if I hadn't intervened?"

She crossed her arms, "Maybe I had a secret attack that I was going to use... but you didn't get to see it because you jumped in too quickly?"

Kakashi sighed. he couldn't true with that, not after Naruto already displayed a home-made Jutsu and astonishing recovery speed.

“Yeah! We- we can do this, Kakashi-sensei!” Sakura cheered- probably ecstatic that Sasuke included her in his reasoning, "I looked over Naruto's wound, and It was actually far less serious than I thought it was."

... Because Kurama managed to heal some of it before Sakura got in the way. Not that Naruto was saying anything.

"But Naruto is still-"

Jumped up and down in protest, "Fine! I told you I heal quickly, y'know."

Sasuke smirked and nodded, "And Sakura and I aren't even injured. We just faced two Chunin, as a lone Genin team."

"Yeah! You said we weren't experienced... but, like we are now. Besides, Jiji trusted us with this mission, and a true Shinobi wouldn't back down, especially now!"

"Okay, okay! You three can stop hassling me now," the Jounin sighed, rubbing his forehead, “If you three are that adamant, then I guess we have no choice but to continue. But if anyone else gets inured we're turning back."

“Great! Let's go to Wave!”

* * *

They were stopped halfway there.

Naruto sensed a flare of chakra from some bushes (was it just her- or was this ability is getting stronger by the minute?) and she immediately threw a kunai upon reflex. Whoever it was… just vanished! Flicker? Replacement? Either way, a rabbit on the verge of a heart attack was left in their place, and she got a heck of a scolding from Sakura because of it.

“It’s not like I _want_ to kill bunnies, Sakura-chan! But there was somebody there- a _person_!”

Sakura cradled the shivering animal, “Yeah right, Naruto! You just don't want to admit that you made a mistake!”

“Huh?! I admit when I make mistakes all the time!” Honestly, it wasn't even a lie. Just yesterday she had called herself a Loud Brat.

There was the sound of steel cutting through the air, thick and heavy. Upon instinct, Naruto rushed Sakura, grabbing the poor girl by her arm and harshly tugging her down to the forest floor- “Everybody down!”

Sasuke dropped and Kakashi slid out of the way as a _huge-ass_ sword embedded itself into a tree. Naruto hissed, feeling vindicated.

“I told you!” She whispered to Sakura from their place huddled in the dirt, "An enemy was there!"

“N-not the time, Naruto!”

They scrambled to their feet as Kakashi shouted orders, and the three of them immediately got to into their triangle-battle-stance in front of Tazuna. Protective, mostly, but Naruto knew she wouldn't stay in that stance for long. If there was a strong enemy here then she would jump into the battle where she could do a lot more damage. Sakura and Sasuke could play bodyguard- she was going to fight.

“Kakashi of the Sharingan.”

Huh? _Sharingan_? her heart began racing at even the simplest mention of that cursed eye,

A guy wearing… cow print...? Well, cow-legs appeared out of nowhere and wretched the giant sword form the tree.

“Zabuza of the Mist…” Kakashi muttered, hand defensively flicking upwards towards his headband, and- fuck. Did he have a Sharingan hidden under there!? How had she not _noticed_? Sasuke's chakra was like a hateful blight on her senses... so how had she missed Kakashi? Was he an Uchiha?

No. Hatake Kakashi. he couldn't be, could he?

“Sasuke- isn't your clan the only one with the Sharingan?” She whispered- but Sasuke looked just as confused as she did.

Kakashi yelled at them to _stay back_ as he pounced on cow-legs, and the two of them were immediately in combat. They began running on the water (huh, didn’t know people could do that-) throwing jutsu left and right… until cow-legs did some trick and caught Kakashi in a ball of water. He thrashed helplessly, somehow still adamant that Naruto and the others stay away from the enemy.

“I don't care about his orders, we need to help him!" She shouted, stepping away from the bridge builder.

It was getting hard to see from the mist. Where was it coming from, anyway? It… had a faint coating of chakra mixed in with it that messed with her sensing abilities. With the mist covering the area like that, she wouldn't be able to single on the enemy's actual chakra... not when her sensing abilities were still so bad. Was this a jutsu?

“But Naruto, that guy is clearly above our level! We can't beat him!” Sakura was shaking, her kunai threatening to fall from her grasp. Poor thing looked as pale as a ghost.

“Yeah, we said the same about Kakashi, but then we took his bells, didn’t we?”

"She's right," Sasuke smirked, clearly not afraid, "Naruto, you distract him with your shadow clones. I’ll back you up. Sakura- stay here and protect the client. Also, weave us your strongest genjutsu, if you can."

Sakura's shaking stopped, a little after soaking up Sasuke's confidence like a sponge, “Got it,” she nodded.

Naruto spawned three clones into life and began charging forward, the cusps of a Bijuu-dama floating in her right hand. They'd already seen it once, so why bother continuing to hide it?

Zabuza didn’t look to be expecting her, and Naruto smirked, her clones engaging in taijutsu with him. She looked over her shoulder to see Sasuke readying something with his demon-shuriken, and Sakura beginning the initial steps of a genjutsu. It seemed similar to their plan at the Bell Test, and Naruto silently nodded to the two of them and was comforted by the familiarity of her team. She decided to use the Bijuu-dama to create a smokescreen that mixed her own chakra into the air, helping disturb whatever mist affect Zubza performed and giving Sasuke an opening.

And she did just that. The half-formed ball exploded in her hands when it grew too unstable, and luckily she was close enough to cow-legs for him to get semi-caught in the blast. Even a small amount of Kyuubi chakra was toxic to the average human- so getting him to absorb any would be useful.

“Sasuke!” She shouted, just as she felt heat sting at her skin and she fled backwards, watching as a massive fireball came soaring through the clearing and towards cow-legs.

He jumped back onto the water, where they couldn't reach him, and Naruto bit her tongue. All they could use was long-range attacks, and she had none. She threw some kunai, distracting him as Sasuke pounded with five mini-fireballs.

“It’s ready-” Sakura shouted.

Cow-legs suddenly looked distorted for a minute, stumbling closer to land, and Naruto took that as her time to strike. She held a kunai in a reverse grip, charging, just barely managing to scrape the man’s arm.

Sasuke was swimming his way to Kakashi and pulled the man out of the water vortex and Naruto knew she only had to distract cow-legs for a few more precious seconds.

When a water-dragon rained down overhead, she knew it was time to step back. She joined Sakura was she watched Kakashi demolish cow-legs- only for a needle to fling out of nowhere and stab the man in the back of the neck. He collapsed, bringing up a cloud of dust behind him.

“My apologies for interrupting,” a light voice said, just as a child wearing a plain mask stepped into view. The fog disappeared with his steps as if parting at his arrival, “But I am a kiri-hunter-nin, and this man was my target. I shall take and dispose of him.”

There was something about his chakra… sterile and it almost seemed to twinge cold- frosting along even Naruto sunspot of a chakra source. She stepped back, fangs bearing but with a stern look from Kakashi, she held her ground.

Naruto didn't like this kid.

But Kakashi decided to let the kid take the body back for.... whatever reason that Naurto didn't understand. And with the child's parting the adrenaline seemed to leak from his body and he promptly fainted. Naruto sighed, feeling her own muscles grow taunt and tired. She let out a breath fo relief when Sakura declared it was a mild case of chakra exhaustion, and that he should be fine with rest.

“Great- so, who's carrying him?” 

* * *

Tazuna’s house was a cramped little thing. But it was cozy nonetheless, and in it lived a pretty lady (Tazuna's daughter) and some snot-nosed brat (Tazuna's annoying grandson). 

It was cozy, but Naruto didn't care much for the place. She just wanted to see some action! 

Cow-legs was dead, but there were still dangers in the Land of Waves. The bridge was set to be completed within the week, and… she knew that more people would be coming if that shady Gecko-guy wanted the thing destroyed as fast as possible.

Kakashi was on crutches. Chakra loss- Naruto didn't know there way even such a _thing_.

 **_“You will never experience it,”_ ** Kurama said with a certain smug removal, **_“Not with me here… and your horrendously large chakra reserves. I never understood how Uzumaki was able to surpass other humans so much."_**

 _“... Thanks?”_ She supposed that was as much of a compliment as Kurama could give without hurling.

**_“You’re welcome.”_ **

She also didn't know that it was possible for any living creature to be so sassy- but apparently, it was. Forget hatred, Kurama was the living embodiment of sass. (He laughed at the thought, and his tails smacked lightly against her back mental body, teasing.)

Apparently, even though their teacher could barely stand on his own, he was still going to be training them.

“Today… we're going to be climbing trees!”

“Uh- we already know how to climb trees?” Naruto huffed.

“Without your hands?”

Huh?

Well, maybe she’d be able to jump up there with no hands…

Then, Kakashi just started walking. And walking. And not stopping. Even when he hit the tree. And then suddenly he was going _up_ the tree, like, walking on it… sideways. Like, a ninja.

Oh, right, they _were_ ninja.

“Cool! I wanna learn! I wanna learn!” She stuck up her hand and began waving it around.

Kakashi went into some long, boring explanation about chakra control and your feet and whatever. Naruto just wanted to be able to walk up walls so that she could… well, walk up walls. Seemed fun. She'd never have to take the stairs again!

“Sasuke, Sakura, I’ll race you!” She squealed and started running forward with chakra stuck to her feet- she only made it about two steps up the tree before she came crashing back down to Earth.

They both laughed.

“Like you’ll do any better,” Naruto hissed, rolling so that she could sit up.

Sasuke smirked, eyes telling her that _oh yeah, I can,_ and then Sakura actually _did._ Just like Kakashi, she walked up to the tree and just… kept walking. Of course, she was a little hesitant, but after Naruto started whooping and hollering the pinkette got a little more into it, swinging herself onto one of the low-hanging branches and sending them a peace-sign.

“Well, Sakura does have the best chakra control of you three. Sakura-chan, why don’t I teach you a new genjutsu while these two work on their tree climbing.”

Sasuke seemed offended that Kakashi would even _dare_ put him in the same category as Naruto- but after he tried, and failed, to walk more than three steps up the tree, he conceded to his point. They both sucked. She giggled.

At least Sakura seemed happy. She even gave Naruto a thumbs up shoulder as she walked perfectly down the tree and bounded over to Kakashi, totally ready for whatever private training the man was going to give her."Take a few deep breaths, Sasuke-kun, Naruto-chan! Relax before you funnel the chakra!"

“Whatever,” Naruto said, facing Sasuke, “I’ll race you to the top!”

Surprisingly, Sasuke smirked back, “You’re on.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!  
> I did a little, tiny bit of editing on the first few chapters, and I'm planning on continuing to edit my chapters a little better. Not this one, though, because I still have two assignments I need to do today for school so I don't have time.  
> Thanks. :)

Naruto panted, laying on her back as the grass tickled the back of her neck. It was the second day of tree climbing and the sun was already going down. She had only made it halfway up the tree and decided to glare at the stupid kunai slashes that stopped halfway along the trunk. Sasuke's own marks told a similar story. He wasn't much higher than her- but he was still _higher,_ which irked her to no end… at least she was getting better chakra control because she sorely needed it. All of Kurama’s techniques required far better chakra control than she currently had, and Naruto didn't really know how to make it better, other than just spamming shadow-clone Jutsu. That was why the Bijuu-dama kept failing. She needed control on not only her own chakra, but Kurama's as well.

Maybe Hinata-chan could help her… she had really good chakra control! Sakura did, too, but Naruto didn't want to ask her. She was getting nicer to Naurto by the day... but that didn't mean a whole lot considering how low the bar was. Sakura would just make fun of her if she asked for help.

Sasuke groaned, getting up from his own sitting position and launching himself at the tree again, and she eyed him and counted - one, three, five, seven… oh, and he was falling again. She snorted when he didn't manage to right himself, and instead fell to a clumsy navy-white heap on the ground.

Sasuke groaned, “ _I thought_ you were racing me?” He snapped, probably more embarrassed than annoyed, “But you’re just laying down. What? Did you give up, loser?"

She rolled onto her stomach and merrily placed her head in her hands, “And _I thought_ you had better chakra reserves,” she sang, “At this point, you’re gonna pass out like Kaka-sensei did.”

He raised an eyebrow, “If _I’m_ about to pass out, then you definitely should have already,” he snarked.

“Nuh-uh,” she wagged a finger at him, “I have _humongous_ chakra reserves. Probably more than Kaka-sensei, and definitely more than you.”

He gave her a look that said he doubted it, and she got up and went for another three rounds- managing to get a whole two steps higher than Sasuke. It seemed to annoy the hell out of him, that she was better, but he didn't have the stamina to give it another go. Heh. That sounded dirty. She wanted to laugh and vomit at the same time.

She flipped herself upwards into a crouch, biting her lip. Why did they have such a stupid sense of chemistry? Arguing with Sasuke was very different from arguing with Kurama or teasing Sakura. It was different from talking to Hinata, too... but somehow Naurto found that she enjoyed it in a similar way. A far more annoying way, but the feeling was still horribly _similar._

Naruto rocked in her crouch, knees protesting and creaking. She ignored them like she did a lot of things.

She could ignore _this_ , too, but she didn't want to. She had ignored enough in her life.

There was a contrasting easy-tension in the forest between her and Sasuke- but, for some reason, she wanted to break it. Something had always been itching away at her because of Sasuke… and she could never quite scratch it. Whenever they were in the same room, or whatever, the itch would come back. It wasn't just his chakra. It was his whole attitude. He... he wasn't normal. He was... so, so depressing. 

Then, to see him here, acting like a _normal person-_

“I heard your clan was massacred.”

She couldn't just leave it as it was. Everything in her body was forcing her to _pry_.

“Hn.” He didn’t say anything, but there was a burning intensity to his eyes, one that told her she shouldn't have said that.

But she just kept on ignoring ignoring ignoring-

“Mine, too,” she dropped her gaze, fiddling with some grass- it painted her finger green. She always hated that, “I mean, I never got the chance to really meet anyone in my clan… or my parents… so I never felt their deaths like you did. But…” she sucked in a breath- and Sasuke did the same, turning on her with eyes of fire, he opened his mouth, she beat him to the punch, “That loneliness… it’s the same, I bet.”

“No, it’s not. You don’t know what I've been through- how could you possibly know?”

She sniffed, “we’re a lot more similar than you’d think.”

“No, we’re not. You’re some dumb girl that can't even keep her mouth shut.”

“And you’re a moody brat who thinks he's better than he is.”

He stiffened, “So are you.”

“But I’m not in denial about it.”

Sasuke went silent. His hand was in his weapons pouch- there were no enemies nearby. She felt a wary sense of alarm rise through her- Kurama, probably. She pushed it down. She swallowed and forced her eyes to leave the immediate threat of his hand.

She needed to say something.

“At least you have Konoha,” she muttered. A bitterness rang through her words, and she didn't realize how deeply she felt that pain until she finally said it.

He raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean? You love Konoha more than anyone. You want to become Hokage"

"Yeah," a bitter, dry mockery of a laugh slipped past her lips, "That doesn't mean Konoha loves me back. Have you seriously not noticed? Everyone hates me. And no,” she said, stopping him from speaking, “It’s not because of the pranks or how loud I am or how annoying I am.”

“Then what?”

She saw recognition in those eyes- so, then, he did notice how hated she was.

“I can't tell you.”

“Then you shouldn't have brought it up.”

She shifted into a sitting position, confident that either Sasuke or Kurama would react if they were suddenly attacked when she remembered that they were technically in enemy territory, “I was always a little jealous- all the same things that happened to me happened to you, yet, we turned out so different. Maybe our loneliness came from different circumstances... but we're both orphans. Our clans are dead, our parents, our families... they're all dead. We both have no friends. We both feel the same loneliness. It's different, and yet it's the exact same."

Sasuke stared at her. He looked like he hated her, and yet, he didn't say anything.

"We're the same, Sasuke. I'm not sure why you've never noticed this, but- we're the same. Expect… everyone loves you. You always act like the biggest jackass in the world, but they still… love you. Despite everything that's happened to you, all the same as what happened to me- they still _love you._ You say I don't understand you, that we can't possibly know each other's pain, and I think you're a little right about that."

The wind blew, rustling her hair. She knew- that as similar as they were, they could never truly be the same. Naruto knew why she was hated and knew why Sasuke was loved.

"You still have Konoha."

She remembered what she thought in the Hokage's office- that Sasuke was as much a weapon as she was. His Sharingan was the same as Kyuubi. 

Yet, that wasn't right, was it? Sasuke chose this path. Naurto was here out of necessity, out of fear of leaving the village. But Sasuke was here as a desperate craving to get stronger so he could... what was it that he said? Kill a certain person?

Naruto wasn't like that. She wasn't bloodthirsty in her anger. She just wanted to free her best friend. From Konoha. She couldn't help but admit that's he was angry at Konoha, for loving up Konoha, for hating her, for not _understanding_... 

But that didn't mean she couldn't be jealous.

Apparently Sasuke had nothing to say to that.

“What's it like?”

“... Annoying.”

She pursed her lips, tutting at him like she imagined a mom would, “Hm. I think I figured it out- you’re an even bigger idiot than me, y'know?”

His glare told her he vehemently disagreed- but, for whatever reason, no words left his lips.

“The only cure for loneliness is friendship. I learnt that the hard way- but I’m better for it. I think it's time that you learned that lesson, too."

She stood up and stomped her way over to the house, and Sakura gave her a weird look when she entered. Sasuke didn't follow her, though she suspected he wanted to.

* * *

Why did she go and have to make things awkward?

Naruto bit her tongue, swaying her feet lazily off the side of the bridge as they watched, waited. Sasuke and Kakashi were helping out with some of the bridge preparations- but since Naruto and Sakura were girls, they didn’t have to. Some of the workers objected to heaving young girls lifting large pieces of lumber, especially since Naurto was still 'injured' from the fight two days ago... ah, meaning the cut had fully healed but Naurot didn't take off the bandage because she didn't want Sakura questioning how she healed so fast.

Eh, sucks to be them. Normally, Naruto hated being treated differently because she was a girl, but right now? She was okay with it. Working on the bridge looked awful, even if Naurto was sure she had more stamina and strength then most of the men working. She was perfectly content to sit back with Sakura, keeping a steady eye on the bridge-builder and his workers. Technically they were on 'protection duty', but that really meant that the 'big strong men' didn't want little girls showing off.

The area around the bridge started to grow… misty. Her nose crinkled, sensing that same, weird, chakra-lace on the mist that she had the other day.

She pushed off the side of the rail and Sakura gave her a weird look, which Naruto returned seriously, “This is the same mist that Zabuza used a few days ago. Get ready, I think we might be getting attacked soon. Move towards Tazuna, but try be discreet. I don't want them knowing that we know, y'know?"

Sakura’s eyes went wide, but surprisingly she didn't question Naruto. She did as she was told and quietly began sneaking towards Tazuna, and Naruto could feel her pulling at her chakra- probably conjuring another genjutsu. Good. She nodded to Sakura just as the mist grew too thick to see her.

“Kaka-sensei,” Naruto whined, moving closer to him, “I’m bored! There's nothing fun to look at because of the fog!”

He frowned at her- his own eyes moving towards the upcoming fog as it began creeping onto the bridge. He halted in his movements and nodded at her. Kakashi was smart, so it wasn't any real surprise that he could understand her (not very subtle) code.

“Get ready,” he threw over his shoulder at Sasuke, immediately running all her hard work at being discreet, “Naruto, help Sakura with Tazuna.”

“Kay,” Naruto replied, perhaps a tad too casual. The person who had used this fog-jutsu last time was cow-legs, and the chakra that flooded the air had the same aggressive nature to it. Not that Naruto's sensing abilities were good enough to remember Zabuza's chakra, specifically, but if she had to guess, she'd assume it was him again, even if he had supposedly died. Kakashi had revived himself, like, twice on this mission already. Would it really be so surprising for Zabuba to do the same?

They'd already beaten his ass once- with Kakashi out of it for the majority of the fight. They could face him again.

Shinobi needles flew through the air- whizzing past them and halfway stabbing through Naruto’s slim black pants. She hissed, the wound a little too close to the mostly-healed cut she had gained the other day. Roughly she grabbed one on instinct and pulled it out, mourning the holes in her pants as the wounds began stitching themselves together almost instantly. Perks of being friends with a Bijuu. It was too bad Kurama couldn't sew, too.

(He complained at that.)

“They're attacking! Sakura, watch out!” She yelled- eyes searching for the pinkette and Tazuna. They… they had been right here, a few minutes ago! What happened?

“Naruto-” something whispered in her ear, and she sharply turned to see a scared-but-determined Sakura standing behind her, “Don’t worry about Tazuna-san, he's hidden in my genjutsu.”

Naruto nodded. “Two enemies,” she summarised, sniffing the air. The fog was too dense for her to get a good smell-reading on, but she could still sense the faint wisps of chakra sources stronger than the fog… or… no… they were gone now. Then they were back, further away then they could have possibly travelled. Then it was gone- and the chakra source popped up in her field of vision where nobody was...? 

This was disorientating.

More needles flew out from the fog and Naruto barely skittered away to dodge it in time. Sakura took one to the shoulder, hissing, and Naruto moved in to cover her, “Patch yourself up, quickly!” There was no room for the injured on the battlefield, weakness would only lead to death. Naruto was more willing to get hurt, since she could actually heal herself within seconds, rather than Sakura, who was a normal human and had the usual bodily limits.

“Kakashi of the Sharingan… so, we meet again. And, you’re still in my way.”

Naruto recognized that deep voice: Zabuza. So, he did resurrect himself.

Kakashi, on the other side of the bridge, flared his chakra and undid his headband, and Naruto saw the ruby red Sharingan for the first time in her life. She hated the way it looked, devilish and as bright as blood. The tomoe lazily spun in preparation for battle, and Kakashi was off.

Kunai met sword and Naruto had to look away- because a second chakra signature blasted through the mist and zeroed in on Sasuke, and she was diving in to stop the sudden hit before she could even breathe. Sasuke didn't notice- his back was turned to the source and _of course,_ he didn't notice. The person that broke through the fog was absolutely silent, and Sasuke was no chakra sensor. Thankfully for him, Naruto was.

Sasuke hadn't seen it coming. Thankfully, she made it there in time, using her kunai to parry an… icicle?

She jumped back, and Sasuke flung himself around, his hands immediately flying through a set of seals as an ocean of fire spew from his mouth. As soon as it ended Naruto was there, throwing herself into a round of taijutsu against the masked opponent with the frozen, frigid chakra- that seemed to frost even through her own sunspot of-

Oh.

She remembered this! How could she not, when this was the most unique chakra source she had encountered since Sasuke?

“Hey! You’re that hunter-nin!” She gasped.

“Indeed,” a high-pitched voice answered- was it… a girl?

“You- you tricked us!” Naruto jumped back and stuck a finger towards the figure, "You... you pretended to kill cow-legs, but you were actually saving him!"

"Duh," Sasuke snorted.

“Of course. Zabuza-sama is my precious person, after all,” the air grew cold, and Naruto turned to see several shards of ice forming out thin air, trapping her and Sasuke in a fun-house of death, “And I will do all I need to protect my precious person. You have someone like that, yes?”

Her hand fisted the warm orange material over her stomach and she nodded, “I would do anything for him.” Include betraying everything she knew and loved; Konoha, Jiji, her only human family... Team Seven, the friends that she didn't realize she had or needed until just now when her heart hammered at the thought of them getting hurt and her body moved on its own to save them. That- that-

She had to think of Kurama. Her first friend. Kurama was the first person to ever accept her as who she was. And Naruto was the first person to look past his shroud of hatred to the true friend within.

No matter what happened, or what bonds she formed... Kurama would always be her most precious person.

She _would_ set him free.

"I have goals to complete for my precious person; and I won't allow you to stop me, even if I have to-" she stopped herself, biting her lip hard but it didn't stop the fiery determination in her eyes. 

Sasuke's head swivelled to look at her- she didn't bother reciprocating.

The mist grew thick, and from it rose several panes of ice that shined and reflect the light like true mirrors. The stranger stepped backwards, hands rising into the misty air as if to tug the mirrors through the very air itself. 

“Then you must understand why it is that I must kill you,” the hunter-nin said, falling backwards and melding into the closest mirror, as if he were just a reflection, “For my precious person.”

Naruto’s feet dug into the ground and she readied herself, “And you must understand why I have to stay alive- for mine!”

The hunter-nin began shifting through the windows of ice, faster than the human eye could even remotely attempt to trace. Maybe if Kakashi were here… but- fuck no! She didn't need the Sharingan for this! She’d do just fine on her own. She didn't need a Sharingan for anything as far as she was concerned, they were just... like, horrible, and a waste of chakra. Just _sense_ when someone was attacking, like geez.

Suddenly, shinobi needles began shooting out from the mirrors and Naruto to duck to the side just to avoid being skewered- Sasuke seemed to be in the same situation, but neither of them were injured, and so she considered that a good thing. She sucked in quick breaths, her lungs stinging as the cold air entered and settled within her chest. Her chakra was blazing, though, the complete opposite of this person and his ice. She wondered how someone gained such chilling chakra.

Sasuke’s eyes flashed to her, “Your leg-” he bit out, eyes moving to her right calf, where she had been slashed open by an icicle. Now, there was only an angry pink-line where the son of a bitch had hit not even ten minutes ago. Kurama was way better than the Sharingan.

**_"And don't you forget it."_ **

“It’s fine,” she reasoned, “Sakura-chan patched me up good. And I heal fast.”

“You must,” the hunter-nin butted in, “My knives hit you only minutes ago, yet the cut has faded.”

“Buzz off,” Naruto hissed, “You ain’t a part of this conversation!”

“May I, at least, tell you that it is unwise to speak during combat?”

“You're doing it right now-”

No time for sassy comebacks, because several icicles began shooting out of the mirrors and towards them. Naruto got a nasty scratch on her arm, and Sasuke immediately dashed forward to guard her front. He went through a flurry of hand seals, and suddenly fire was roaring all around them- how much chakra did that take? Sasuke didn't have a ton to spare!

She blinked when the flames disappeared- the ice was still there. Sasuke gasped, just as shocked as she was. She grabbed his arm and threw him out of the way, earning her a healthy-looking cut just underneath the first one.

“This ice is formed by my chakra- it is the Kekkei Genkai of my clan. This ice is not like anything you had ever seen before; it can't be melted by your petty techniques."

Was that why his chakra was so… _cold_? A Kekkai Genkai that literally turned his chakra to ice. Fridged. Cold. Naruto wondered if this person's soul was as frozen as his energy was. Naruto shivered, her own chakra heating up almost in retaliation to the cooling air. Kurama growled, deep in her soul. Her mental body's hand held tight to his fur.

“I am the last of my kind,” the hunter-nin fled to the mirror behind Naruto, “You may address me a Haku; not that my name matters much. You will not live to speak it to anyone.”

“You’re rather polite for a murderer, Haku,” Naruto quipped.

“Shinobi are merely tools. Such words as _murderer_ do not offend me. I am a weapon, and if my master orders me to kill, then I will do so. You should understand me- you're sShinobi, and just as much a tool of your village as I am to my master. You must understand- you two will not be leaving this arena alive."

She saw red.

It might have been Kurama’s chakra- it might have just been the hot, blind, _fury_ those words erupted in her- but all she could see was red. _Tool_? Naruto had a true, burning fury for that word, for that label. The way the villagers look at her. The stories Kurama has told her. Tool. Jinhcuriki. The two words might as well be synonyms- and she hated it. The Power of Human Sacrifice. It was all bullshit- all a veneer to hide the true intentions to conquer and destroy and use. In the yes of the world she was a tool. She was a cage.

She was a sacrifice- built for the protection of others against something that they didn't understand. From something they only had to fear because they hated it in return.

And she **hated it**.

Uzumaki Naruto was nobodies tool, and she wouldn't allow this bastard to claim she was.

“Take it back.”

She saw herself in an ice mirror. Her eyes were bloodier than the Sharingan. Her whisker-marks were darker, far more defined. Feral. Everything that made her a tool was coming to play- she was the Jinhcuuriki of the Kyuubi. She knew that. Accepted it. She wasn't a tool to wield the power of a demon. She wasn't the cage to the beast. She was an extension of the beats they all wanted her to control. She was more than a sacrifice. _She was a demon in her own right._

And she **revelled in it**.

“What?”

"Take it back,” she seethed, “People _aren't tools._ Living beings _aren't tools_ ** _._** Take. It. Back.”

Haku stiffened, surprised by her rage at his words, “I will not,” he said, resolute- but he stopped attacking. Naruto sent Sasuke a glance through the mirror- we seemed stiff (probably because her eyes were bright fucking red and slit like a cat’s), but nodded to her silent suggestion.

_I’ll keep him busy. You figure out just how the hell to get us out of this alive._

“Why?” Naruto choked, backing up- “You’re a _person_. You have feelings and emotions for a reason. Nobody… nobody deserves to be treated like a weapon.”

“You speak as if you know,” Haku said- his own voice laid with a layer of seething.

“Because I _do_. My precious person, and I, we know better than anybody what it’s like to be seen as weapons. Tools. I"ve been branded as a tool for the use of my village my entire life- and here I am, fulfilling my duty by needing to kill you. I'm not just a Shinobi, I'm..." she blinked, looking at Sasuke who stared at her like she had grown a second head. She hissed, and shook her head, "I know. I think I know better than you, Haku. And my precious person? He's known that life for years."

Kurama’s chakra flooded the surface and began to take physical form, sticking to her palms. The sting of heat was soothing, comforting. He was there, in the back of her mind, swaying his tails and even though there was a nervousness to the gesture, this was her first real fight, there was also a smug grin on his face that warmed her chest. Pride.

He was proud of her.

Because he knew she understood his struggles, and did not pity him, but rallied with him. They were best friends and partners. His problems were her problems and vice versa.

She was proud of him, too. And that was why she would live- for him.

“It's disgusting. Being treated like a tool. A _thing_. It ain’t right,” she seethed- Sasuke did something behind her and Haku moved, attacking once more. Naruto didn't even bother dodging, Sasuke yelled at her. She looked him right in the eyes. “Nobody deserves to be treated like they ain’t even alive- not even _monsters,_ ” she spat. The icicles flew past her, slipping through the surface of the mirrors and being absorbed back in as if they never existed in the first place.

Sasuke took a step back.

“Why do you feel this way?” Haku asked, genuinely curious. She thought, for a moment, that nobody had ever asked her something like that. And here it was, for the first time- an enemy.

Naruto picked at the two wounds on her arm, turning so that Haku could see the skin sitch itself together and steam forming in the fridged air as the muscles twined together and the skin sealed close all on its own, Chakra buzzed on the edges of her skin, and Naruto grinned as her eyes flashed an even brighter red.

“Because people are always saying that I’m a **monster** , and treating me like one, too. And I can tell you this, Haku, nobody deserves that. I should know more than anyone what it feels like to be seen as a monster, as a tool. I was created for the sole purpose of harbouring power and protecting my village against my will- and yet, here I am. Angry. Horrified. yet proud of who I am... because I may be a monster, but I am not a tool. Tools don't have feelings," the chakra started taking physical form, now, sticking to her skin like tacky gum, "so don’t ever, _ever_ , think of yourself as undeserving of emotion. Everybody's got a right to that.”

Haku went quite.

Then, he sucked in a breath through his mask, "I... don't understand. What are you?"

Naruto could see Sasuke mirror the question silently through the mirrors.

"Didn't you hear me?" Naruto laughed, but it a broken, rusty sound, "I'm a monster."  
"But not a tool? As far as I am concerned, all Shinobi are tools. Tools created to be used by others; their masters, their captains, their villages. I'm sure you can understand."

Naruto shook her head, "No. I won't allow it. I won't allow myself to become an unfeeling tool like you! I may be a monster, but I am still alive. I still feel."

"Even if those emotions are painful?"

"Sometimes pain is necessary. Without pain then we can't truly enjoy happiness."

Sasuke's eyes widened.

She couldn't see Haku's face, but she thought he might be frowning. Confused, maybe. 

“I’m… sorry,” Haku said, “I just can't agree with that. If I am to be useful for my precious person, then I must remove my feelings. I am a tool. I am an extension of his will- and that is all I will ever be."  
She opened her mouth- Haku raised his hand.

"That is all I _want_ to be."

Naruto was so stunned by the refusal that she didn't even see the needle slamming into her neck.

* * *

What the fuck.

Sasuke saw her body hit the ground and the breath physically pushed out of her lungs; it was cold enough to see that fog, like her soul, crushed and escape through her lips.

“Naruto-?”

Why was she so… 

What emotion was this? Why was he feeling it now- for _her_? She was nothing but a nuisance. He didn't need her, or Sakura, or Kakashi, or anyone in Konoha. He didn't need emotions. Emotions got in his way, soiled his revenge and dampened his will. If he had emotions he would be _weak,_ just as he was told. All emotions and bonds did were make someone weak. He... he didn't need emotions, nor did he need friends. He didn't need _them_.

Only hatred.

Only hatred and Itachi.

Once that man _\- that monster -_ was dead… then he could feel. Then he could live. Then he would restore the glory of his clan and made sure nothing like that tragedy could ever happen to his people again.

Then… why…?

 _"So don’t ever,_ **_ever_** , _think of yourself as deserving of emotion. Everybody's got a right to that."_

He stepped closer to her body. Her _corpse_. Haku wasn't moving- standing a silent vigil over the girl he had just killed in cold blood. For the simple reason of existing- for talking to him and _trying to help him i_ n that horrible way that only Naruto could do. When she pried her stupid fingers into everyone else's business and tried to take all the hatred of the world on her only tiny shoulders.

Why was she such an idiot?

 _"Living beings_ **_aren't_** _ **tools**."_

He fell to his knees by her side, clutching her jacket and not caring when a knife stabbed into his arm. How many hits had she taken? He pulled out the needle and watched as the wound slinked closed instantly. What.

Why was this girl such an idiot…?

_"Take it back."_

But… 

_"The only cure for loneliness is friendship. I learnt that the hard way- but I’m better for it."_

Then, how can she… 

_"We're a lot more similar than you’d think."_

Somehow know the right thing to say?

He closed his eyes.

_"Nobody deserves to be treated like they ain’t even alive- not even monsters"_

Itachi’s profile mocked him, glued to the inside of his eyelids. Stained there like it had been ever since that bloody night0 the night that refused to leave his mind. His every waking movement and his every nightmare. 

Was he… crying?

No. He couldn’t be. He wasn't weak. He had no emotions left but hatred... everything else was burned away with the crisp view of his brothers Sharingan as the blood of his parents seeped into his clothes and their screams echoed in his mind. He couldn't be crying. Itachi didn't cry- and Sasuke had to be stronger than Itachi.

Sasuke opened his eyes.

And he could see everything.

(Itachi had been crying, too, that night.)

* * *

Naruto opened to the sound of screaming, the heat of fireballs, and the sight of the Sharingan.

Sasuke stood guard over her body, a stream of fire coming from his mouth and directing at the cascading shadows of Haku’s form in the ice mirrors. His body was hunched in a way that screamed of pain and torment, yet there was a determination in his blood-red eyes that Naruto wasn't sure she had seen in him before. She immediately tried to move, to get up and slap Sasuke because they _already knew_ that his fire jutsu wouldn’t work and that he was just watching what that tiny reservoir of chakra he had… but her limbs refused to move.

**_“There is a knife stuck in your neck, kit. I repaired the damage enough for you to regain consciousness, but I can't repair the nerve it's stuck in that causing the paralysis until you pull it out._**

_“Yeah, gee, well I don't understand how I am supposed to pull it out if I’m paralyzed?”_

**_“...”_ **

Suddenly her arm was moving, but she was not the one doing it. Then, she remembered this tingly, foreign feeling from… well, quite a long time ago, actually- when Kurama had to take over to get her away from some ANBU… after she had painted the Hokage monument. Ha, this was an awful time for such a wonderful memory. They had caught her in the end- but it had been worth it.

Kurama was controlling her arm. It was a smart way to bypass her body's need for the nerve impulses to come from her brain since they were coming from him instead. No big deal. It wasn't like he was a horrible, flesh-eating, acid-spewing, mountain-destroying demon set on getting revenge against all humanity, or anything. She was comfortable with him controlling her arm like a puppet.

With a few jerky, awkward movements the needle was ripped out of her neck (ow- fuck-!) and a wave of numbness cascaded over her body before fading, and finally she could feel her toes again. She flexed her fingers, getting used to the feeling once more as he blood tingled into her limbs. God, thank fuck. 

**_“You’re welcome.”_ **

_“I’ll buy you ramen when we get home.”_

**_“Udon.”_ **

Right. Kitsune udon. Who would have figured?

She sat up, groaning, “Fire ain’t gonna do anything, bastard.”

Sasuke whipped around, his eyes bright and... spinning. Yup, she hadn't been hallucinating, he’d actually unlocked the Sharingan. Gross, gross, gross!

“Naruto!” He skidded over to her, looking far too worried to actually be Uchiha Sasuke.

“Is this a genjutsu, or something? Or were you actually worried about me?”

His fist slammed into her arm- yeah, definitely had to be a genjutsu, because only S _akura_ hit her like that and Sasuke, er, _despise_ would be too mean of a word to say (how about tolerated?) - and he hissed, “Now isn't time for you to be an idiot. I thought you were _dead,_ Naurto _._ ”

“And I _told you_ that I heal quickly. Now, what's the situation?”

“We can't escape, there are no exits. You’re injured. My chakra is low-”

Haku threw an icicle at them- Sasuke grabbed her by the jacket and threw them both of them tp the side to avoid it, and Naruto hissed when one of the icicles sunk further into her body via slamming against the ground. “Dumbass, using fire-style shit and burning up all your chakra,” she hissed, pushing herself to her feet, “I'll get us out of this."

"How?" Sasuke asked, his Sharingan flickered to Naruto's hands as more Kyuubi chakra was summoned. The sticky and blazing chakra stuck to her palms as it took physical shape, and she grinned at Haku.

"There's something I've been waiting to try. I'm sure you noticed with your fancy new set of eyes there how hot my chakra is."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, but he didn't protest the statement. She held up her palm full of Kyuubi chakra victoriously.

“What is that for?” Haku asked, unconcerned, “You should already know that nothing you can do will break or melt my ice.”

Naruto shrugged, “So you say- but I’ve heard on several occasions that this chakra is capable of corroding anything… so, what's your bet on, your unmeltable ice, or my melt-everything acid?”

“Acid?” Sasuke asked.

Naruto threw her arms through the air and sent the chakra flying- it slammed against the ice with a gross-sounding _plop_ and stuck there. Haku froze, watching, expecting it to fail.

Then it started steaming.

Water dripped down, along with the remnants of Kyuubi chakra and Naruto smirked, eyes flickering red as she summoned more chakra. She wasn't good enough to condense it into a Bijuu-dama, but she sure as hell could use Kyuubi's chakra in its natural state.

“That's impossible-!”

Haku’s next flurry of attacks was parried by Sasuke while Naruto continued flinging chakra at the wall, tearing through their prison. She could see the faintest bits of Kakashi’s fight with cow-legs, and Sakura, standing on the side-lines and going through a variety of hand seals in front of a shaking Tazuna. Sasuke rushed forward through the gaps in the mirrors, and Naruto only vaguely realized that Haku had slipped out. The chirping of birds and the zinging smell of electricity filled the air and Naruto was distracted for just that second-

There was a scream. Something scattered across the ground in a staccato of porcelain against concrete and stopped against her ankle.

Naruto looked down and saw the mask of the ice-nin.

A young… boy? Haku? Laid on the ground, next to Sasuke, blood seeping from his chest and onto the bridge. Looks like the Uchiha took the victory, huh? Or- Kakashi sensei?

Naruto did all the work. If she hadn’t started melting all the ice mirrors, then Haku would have still had them trapped. Suddenly, the sound of hundreds of feet moving was heard- Sasuke and Naruto ran out of the ice prison just in time to see a stubby, weird little man in a pinstripe standing on the end of the bridge, a smirk on his face.

“Well, well, it looks like the Shinobi I hired couldn't even kill off a couple of kids and an old man.”

“Just because his hair is grey doesn't mean he's old!” Naruto shouted, pointing to Kakashi, “He's in his early thirties, believe it!”

“Twenty-six,” her teacher coughed, "And I think he meant Tazuna."

Damn. Premature greying was a bitch.

Kurama laughed, for some reason.

“Gato!” Zabuza hissed, “Why are you here?”

The weird man laughed- oh, he was that 'Gecko' guy, right? - “To kill you and your little toy, obviously. Anyone who can’t do what I asked doesn't deserve to live.”

Naruto’s hands balled into fists and she was about to go off on a rant again, only for Sasuke to grab her shoulder.

“You’re injured,” he said, Sharingan flickering over her body, "You can't fight like that. You were unconscious just seconds ago."

She felt invaded by his horrible, bloody red stare. 

Fuck- could he see Kurama? How did the Sharingan even _work_?

“You're injured too, bastard,” she said, looking at the several shinobi needles embedded in his skin- he made no move to remove them, which was probably good because his wounds couldn't seal closed in a matter of seconds like hers. He could potentially bleed out. “Sakura-” she hissed, “We need your medical skills!”

Sakura jumped at being called and skittered over, and Naruto flinched when Tazuna (hidden in a shroud of genjutsu) followed. He knocked up against her and she nearly took his invisible head off.

“I’ll- I’ll kill you!” Zabuza hissed, running forward with a kunai in his mouth and his sword in his hands. He started slashing away at Gecko and his men. Kakashi looked about to interfere when a voice shouted out over the bloody chaos.

“Zabuza-sama!”

“Haku!” Zabuza turned around, eyes wide. 

They all did. Haku was standing by his fallen, melted ice mirrors, a hand on his chest and blood dribbling from his mouth. He was half-dead, and they all knew it.

Zabuza ran to him. The two shared an embrace, and Naruto crossed her arms.

“See?” she told Sasuke, “he's no tool. Or at least Zabuza doesn't think so, and I think that's what really matters."

Sasuke stayed quite. That was right when a sword came by and stabbed Zabuza through the back and into Haku’s already ruined chest- and the two of them slammed to the ground.

Naruto was moving, but Sakura stopped her. There were more footsteps, more people, all at the end of the bridge. The people of Wave.

She stood back. They had this covered.

Snow fell, and Naruto looked up with a brisk sigh. Was this... Haku's snow? It gracefully fell to the crumpled form of the Master and the Tool- no. She smiled, eyes crinkling. He wasn't a tool. Zabuza didn't see it that way, and Naruto thought that perhaps in death, Haku realized that, too.

It was a sad ending to a sad story, but Naruto thought it was fitting.

"You're right. He's not a tool," Sasuke finally answered, voice quiet but resolute, "People aren't tools."

She looked at him, eyes wide. Sasuke smiled, if gently and reluctantly.

"I don't think you're a monster, either."

No. She was. She was a Monster. She _wanted_ to be a Monster- because that meant she was closer to Kurama, her precious person.

...

Was this how Haku felt?

Naruto's lip formed a thin line, and she decided not to say anything to assume. She took the compliment as it was meant- a compliment.

* * *

_Kakashi’s Report_

_Our mission somehow turned from a C-rank to a B-rank., or maybe even an A-rank when you consider the threat Gato could have faced if he hired ore shinobi. And I was with a team of Genin. Why do these things always happen to me, I have to wonder?_

_The team performed better than expected._

_Sasuke is as prodigal as everyone claims him to be; he awakened his Sharingan during his fight with Zabuza’s disciple Haku. He seems upset over the details and refuses to tell me, but sometimes I caught him looking at Naruto funny, who has also been in the fight, though reportedly had fallen unconscious for a part of it. I would assume his strange behaviour has to do with her. He seems to be opening up to his teammates more- or, at least he and Naruto seemed to be opening up for a while, but then they were just as prickly the next day. Still, when it came down to fighting, the two worked well together. As a team. Overall, I’m less worried about his social-skills than I was upon first meeting him. Though I will have to speak with him about the Sharingan. And maybe about providing accurate reports to his Captain, but I'm procrastinating that one._

_On the other hand, Naruto isn't nearly as bad as everyone suspects her to be; she, unsurprisingly, has the largest ammount of chakra in the group and isn't as bad at controlling it as I expected. She also, somehow, managed to "make up" a jutsu- who taught her how to do this? It looks fairly dangerous and close enough to the Rasengan to be shocking. (Hokage-sama, I know you told her about the fox, but you didn't tell her about her parentage, too, did you?) Overall, I would say she did far better than any of her grades in the academy said she would; I think the academy just wasn’t tactical enough for her. I would almost argue that Naruto is verging on prodigal, if only for the fact that she created a mildly-dangerous technique on her own._

_Sakura has shown some of her better qualities over the trip. I learned that despite her small reserves (or maybe because of it,) she has astounding chakra-control, and was able to complete the tree-climbing exercise on her first try. I taught her several D and C ranking genjutsu, which she took to easily. She also displayed a large variety of medical knowledge when she helped Naruto and Sasuke with their minor wounds after a fight. I would suggest someone better at medical jin-jutsu (read: not me) give her some extra lessons, as this is a valuable skill with teammates as prone to injury as Naruto and Sasuke._

_Come to think of it, Naruto’s original wound (which was pointed, but didn't seem to affect her at all) required stitches, yet was fully healed within three days. She insisted that the Kyuubi was able to heal her, which worried me, but I never had the chance to ask her. I let it slide as the other two were present, but I think his will need to be investigated._

_Note: how much does Naruto know about the Kyuubi? She seems familiar with using its chakra… who taught her this? The only one I can suspect knowing anything like that would be Jiraiya. She seems strangely comfortable with being a Jinchuuriki. What did you say her reaction was, again?_

_Another note: Naruto seems to have chakra-sensing abilities. I suspected her Uzumaki-genes might be at play. I'll try and evaluate her on this later, though I'm not sure how to broach the subject without letting her know that I knew Kushina._

_I’ll send a follow-up report when I figure out some answers._

_\--- Hata-_

Huh?

Kakashi looked up from where he was writing his report- Sasuke had slowed down enough to be walking beside him at the back of the pack as the girls were chatting loudly in the front, or, well, Naruto was chatting loudly in the front, and Sakura was tolerating it. The two seemed to get closer every day. It would be cute if Kakashi honestly wasn't terrified at what the combination of girls could pull off. Sakura was terrifyingly intelligent with a mild sadistic streak, and Naruto was mischievous enough to put anyone on edge. Together? He shivered.

But it wasn't like Sasuke was any less terrifying. The idea of all three of being friends? Armageddon.

“Kakashi-” 

No ‘sensei’. Huh. he kind of liked it when they call him that; his cute little Genin squad. Maybe… he was kind of (just a _little_ ) understanding why Gai loved this stuff. Bering a teacher, that was. Kakashi only realized that had sounded... 

“What's wrong with Naruto?”

He took it all back! Sasuke was just as intelligent as Sakura and just as mischievous as Naruto. Terrifying- all on his own. Cute Genin? He couldn't see any!

“I don’t know what you mean, Sasuke,” Kakashi pretended to get back to writing his report.

“When we were fighting Haku… her eyes went red. And her chakra… my Sharingan, when it activated, it _reacted_ to her chakra. In a way I can't even describe,” he hissed, Sharingan flashing to life and inspecting the girl, and Kakashi flinched, knowing he wouldn't see what he was looking for, “The chakra she used… it was orange and acidic. And her wounds- they healed within seconds…”

The kid didn't even seem to understand what he was saying- but boy was he on the mark. Kakashi was sweating. Not just from the knowledge, but from the idea that Naruto was channelling enough Kyuubi chakra to change her physical appearance. That was bad. Was the seal coming loose? Kakashi wasn't as great with seals and Sensei was- but he had known Kushian for a long time, and had never seen her eyes turn red like Sasuke was describing. God, why was Jiriya never in Konoha?! They could sure as hell use a seal master right about now.

“There are a variety of Shinobi in the world who have unique, rarely heard of abilities. Several of them are in your graduating class, as I’m sure you know. They have Kekkei Genkai, or special techniques only certain people are capable of… uh, yourself is included in that with your Sharingan. Along with the other Genin teams that have passed, like the Hyuuga with their Byakugan, or the Inuzuka, which has an affinity for dogs that isn't a Kekkai Genkai-"

"That's not Naruto," Sasuke said, bluntly, "I didn't ask about them. I knew that already, but I've never heard of anything like what I saw... and especially not from _Naruto_. She was the worst in our class...."

Kakashi would just have to pretend like grades matters (after all, Naurot was here on a genin team, and all those other kids were back at the academy or in civilian professions), "Well, the majority of Genin that passes on their first try are those with special abilities. Naruto just happens to be one of them."

“But what is it? Her especially ability?" He hissed, turning to him, “What's the Uzumaki clan?”

“She… did she tell you anything about that?”

Sasuke deadpanned, “She told me it was massacred.”

Kakashi chuckled, nervously, “Well, yes, but that happened several years before either of you were born. I’m surprised she knows anything about it… you do know that her parents died, yes?”

Was he saying too much? He was probably saying too much.

He was a Konoha Jounin and he was prepared to fight and die for his village. He was prepared to torture and interrogate anyone who intended his land or his people or his home har. He had killed hundreds. He would continue to do so. But none of his training involved talking to children who knew too damn much and wanted to know more... abut S-class secrets, nonetheless. He couldn't;t just admit that Naruto was a Jinhcuuriki and likely inherited several traits from her war-hero mother and Kage father.

Sasuke just nodded, soaking in the information. “And?”

“ _And_ , we don’t know the logistics of her lineage,” a lie, of course, since Kakashi was one of the precious few who knew who Naruto’s parents were, “So there's no saying what abilities she may have. It may even be a Kekkei Genkai, but it could be similar to the Inuzkua.” It wasn’t either. It was worse. She was a Jinchuuriki, which, for as many as there had been, were a very rarely studied breed of human. It wasn't like anyone wanted to get close up and personal with an enraged Jinhcuuriki.

Not that he’d tell Sasuke that.

How was he even to explain that? The children of Konoha had far too little knowledge of the world, including what the Bijuu and Jinhcuuriki were. This wasn't Kumo or Iwa or anything else. This was Konoha. This was the place where children were to be _protected-_ even if the thing they were protected from was one of their loyal comrades who risked her life to save them each and every day. But Sasuke and Sakura might not understand that. Hell, Kakashi didn't understand it- and he wasn't even sure _Naruto_ understood that.

Could anyone? 

Having a demon sealed inside of you, giving you strange powers... it sounded insane. Dangerous. And the last thing Kakashi wanted was to spill the secret and make Naruto's few friends afraid of her. He was Mintao's last remaining student and borderline the man's child. He couldn't do that to what easily could have been his adoptive sister.

Sasuke stuck his hands in his pockets and started sulking, but, at the very least, he stopped asking questions. Was it good to lie to him? Probably not. But there wasn't much else Kakashi could say to him. 

The only people who had the authority to tell _anyone_ about Naruto being the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune were the Hokage and Naruto herself. Though he doubted she knew she was allowed to tell people- and he wasn't about to inform her, since he knew she’d probably immediately spill the beans to her teammates, anyways. Was she ready for that? Only Naruto could know.

…

They could wait until the three of them were closer, for that. Or until Naruto was more mature- if that ever happened.

Sasuke sped up his pace to be in-between the girls and himself, and Kakashi smiled as Naruto turned around and hollered at the Uchiha. He shot some insults back, but they all knew there wasn’t a real heat to it.

Maybe… that day would come sooner than he thought.

~~\---Hata~~

_Note: Sasuke just questioned me about Naruto’s red eyes and strange chakra (aka, the Kyuubi no Kitsune), I lied to him saying it could be a possible Kekkei Genkai and that I didn't fully know what it was, but I’m not certain he will drop the matter with just that explanation. I suggest some kind of intervention… it’s only a matter of time before the truth gets out. Not that I understand the need to keep it a secret when Naruto already knows._

_Oh, and we need somebody to check her seal. Right now. I'm scared it could be breaking._

_\--- Hatake Kakashi._


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> Going to be honest here, reading week made me lose track of the days and I totally forgot that yesterday was Friday. Heres the update today!  
> I have to leave my house in, like, 5 minutes, so my other story is going to have o wait a few hours. Sorry if like, anyone here actually reads that one. :)  
> (Personally I think my other stories are better than this one, so give it a try...? Pretty please? ^^)
> 
> Update: so as of right now this is the last chapter I need to update in my editing quest. Because, haha, I have school work due and I like procrastinating.  
> The only chapter I would bother looking at again would be chapter 8, since I made some (edgy)major-ish edits, lmao.

He was getting too old for this.

Sarutobi sat back in his desk, reading over Kakashi’s latest report for the _nth_ time. The other few reports were also scattered across his desk, all of them seem to have one thing in common: Uzumaki Naruto using the Kyuubi no Kitsune's chakra.

Lord, was Kushina this much trouble? He honestly couldn't remember. The happy memories of those times always seemed to outweigh the bad.

There was a knock on his door and he waved his hand, the ANBU on guard already moving to open the door. Good. His weary limbs refused to move from his comfortable spot by his luxuriously large desk... that was covered in paperwork. Alas, the job of the Hokage was never quite done.

“The Chunin Exams will be held in Konoha this year,” he said, taking a large breath of his pipe and relaxing in his seat as the Jounin filed into the room, and he was particularly aware of Kakashi scooting to the back. Sarutobi's eyes refused to leave him, watching.

He already knew the man would nominate his team. They were beyond the skill set of the average group of Konoha genin (though all the teams this year were), or so his frequent reports stated. But there were several worries: again, namely, Uzumaki Naruto. Konoha’s resident trouble-maker. She had been so lovely as a young girl. Perhaps a little loud, but she was so kind and sweet and always called her Grandpa or Jiji with such enthusiasm. Her and Konohamaru were the best of friends… and Sarutobi almost found himself missing the days where little Naru was happily playing in his office. Now, she was only a few weeks into her genin apprenticeship, and yet she was acting more and more like an actual Kunoichi by the day. She was strong, brash and brave. She was using chakra she shouldn't yet have access to- she was sacrificing herself or her teammates and apparently developing new Jutsu. He was worried about her, and what danger the Chunin exams might pose to his adoptive granddaughter.

There was also the Haruno girl. While she was very intelligent and skilled in the support fields, she, unfortunately, lacked the physical capabilities that the Chuunin exams may expect from a Genin. If she were to be promoted it was likely he would assign a private tutor to give her medical or genjutsu-based lessons. Konoha could always use more specialists, as well as gifted Kunoichi which were, unfortunately, sometimes hard to come across. Yet while she was a promising young student but Konoha wasn't willing to lose the lives of any Genin candidates- despite what the other villages seemed to think on that subject.

And the Uchiha... brash and arrogant, unwilling and unable to cooperate well with others, and still recovering from the Uchiha incident. According to Kakashi he had the least amount of teamwork, and all four times he had been in a combat scenario he first attacked solo, and only when that failed did he use his teammates for backup. Not only that, but while he was a brilliant Shinobi, gifted in all areas and in possession of the Sharingan, he was rash and bloodthirsty. While setting goals was a good way to improve, Sarutobi thought his fixation on killing Itachi was misguided and dangerous.

(Especially considering the man was innocent.)

Ah, Sarutobi supposed he could find fault in all the Genin if he thought about it long enough. There were reasons to accept them all, as well as reject them. He supposed he would default to what Kakashi had to say on the matter and they would go from there.

“All Jounin who would like to nominate their Genin squad to participate please step forward."

Might Gai immediately stepped in; his squad was clearly ready especially given their extra time as genin gave that they hadn't challenged the last exam. Next were some less-than-stellar squads- Sarutobi would have to consider those and get back to the instructors. Then, even more surprisingly, not just Kakashi, but rather all three of the Rookie squads moved forward. Each Captain nominated their Genin one by one until the lone Hatakae finally spoke up.

“I, Hatake Kakashi, recommended all three Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke, to participate in the Chunin exams.”

Sarutobi smoked his pipe. Iruka gave out an outburst, demanding the team take more time- biased, as the man had always been fond of Naruto. Though Sarutobi could say he was quite the same.

He raised a hand, silencing Iruka and commanding all those whose business was finished to leave. They had all spoken their parts, and Saruboti had accepted ad declined those he saw fit. As those who he had accepted left, they placed filed out forms on his desk for him to properly review once more before the Exams. More for him to do later…

Now it was him and his most head-ache inducing squad.

"Sir, not to be disrespectful- but is it necessary that the others leave? My squad can't be that bad," Kakashi joked.

Sarutobi quirked a grin, blowing out his pipe with glee, "They're not. Well, they cause me some grief- but that's not the point: Sasuke and Naruto have very sensitive issues. Do you really think they're ready? Your reports have been nothing but glowing and... _curious_ , but I have known Naruto and Sasuke for a very long time, I practically took them in... well Sasuke fought against that, but Naruto is practically my granddaughter... and, ah, I suppose I may be a bit biased. Give me your unrestricted opinion, as their sensei."

Kakashi shifted, “I understand that we have a long way to go, and many things to work on... but, yes, in terms of fighting abilities and teamwork I think they are ready. Perhaps Sakura is less so- but with more specialized training, I’m sure she would make a great Chunin.”

Sarutobi hummed, pulling out Sakura’s academy file and looking over it briefly, “A medical student, yes?”

Kakashi nodded, "She shows promise. She has expert knowledge of what little the Academy teaches on field medicine and has been studying more in-depth material on her own. She has lacks physical skills, but she makes up for it in strategy and support skills." 

"Yes, of course," Sarutobi nodded, "I've been looking into our medical staff for a good tutor. I think Konoha could benefit from more medical specialists." He could practically hear Tsunade scolding him for how low the hospital staff had gotten in recent years.

He blew his pipe, calmed, "And Sasuke?”

“Sir. He awakened his Sharingan.”

“Yes, as I have read. Rather young, isn't he?” Sarutobi let out a large puff of smoke, "I suppose there have been younger, namely..." Kakashi flinched, and Sarutobi backpedalled. He sometimes forgot that Itachi and Kakashi had been close during their ANBU days. "And he is regaled as a genius by the academy instructors... already he makes an excellent Shinobi. There are many already interested in his promotion, though I think he could still stand to learn from you, seeing as you're our only Sharingan wielder. But I suppose you could always take him in as an apprentice if he were promoted."

“Sir, I would like to say that Uchiha Sasuke should not be our main concern. I wish to speak about Naruto…” It was funny how a man so feared could shift so awkwardly.

“Yes, there are concerns about the Kyuubi. You asked me how it went when I told her… rather well, I would say," he put down his pipe. Such sobering thoughts warranted sobriety.

"Perhaps," Kakashi shifted, his lone eye refusing to meet Sartuobi's own, "A little too well…?”

“Indeed. I had been thinking that ever since I spoke to her. Did she perhaps know beforehand? Do you have any idea if someone told her?"

Kakashi shook his head, "Not that I know of... the Academy records don't show any signs of her knowledge, but I do think it's a distinct possibility that she already knew. When I spoke to her after the incident at Wave she didn't seem particularly startled."

Sarutobi shuffled some papers and brought up Uzumaki's file, the unredacted version that was only available to few. He briefed himself on her academy reports and the Wave mission and sighed. “I sent for Jiraiya. Unfortunately, since he is the only one who holds the key to the seal, it is difficult for anyone else to safely make adjustments. Should things get… out of hand, I may put an overlay seal on her… but, as we know, it’s best to leave the original seal as untainted as possible. I don't believe it's good for Naruto's well being to treat her as a danger, and yet the circumstances with Suna may warrant such actions."

Rumours of Suna’s jinchuuriki sometimes forced a shiver down Kakashi's spine. They were lucky that Naruto ended up the way she had. Kakashi couldn't imagine what it was like to walk on eggshells around an unhinged killing machine. And if Suna's Jinchuuriki were to encounter Naruto? Well, with her being entered in the Exam that was a

guarantee. Which, if he thought that over, wasn't a completely bad thing. It was often said that the only thing that could truly stop a Jinhcuuriki was another Jinhcuuriki.

After all, they were wary of Suna. And, especially, they were wary of how Suna insisted they bring their Jinhcuuriki to this year's test. It could be a recipe for disaster- or, an attack.

They might need Naruto in order to stop Shukaku.

My the flash in Sarutobi's eyes, it seemed like he was thinking along the same lines. "Until Jiriya comes to properly make an assessment on the seal, we should just watch her. Naruto wouldn't take well to intervention and so I would like to keep that as a last resort, if possible. In the meantime, keep a close eye on her, and only if she uses overt amounts of Kyuubi chakra should we act. I know that this a risky move, but with Suna entering their own Jinhcuuriki into the exam it's important that Naruto be there as well."

“Sir.”

Sarutobi picked back up his pipe and took a long drag, “Jiraiya should be here within the week. We just have to hold out until then. Dismissed.”

Kakashi flickered out of the room. Sarutobi sat back, his bones creaking in protest. The beginnings of a headache were surely stomping into his skull, and he had a feeling it wouldn't be going away anytime soon. Ah, Naruto. He loved her like a granddaughter, but boy did he strain his heart.

“That girl is going to be the death of me."

* * *

They were waiting for their next assignment. So far, their team had been demoted back to doing D-ranked missions, though, Kakashi said that it was natural for any Genin team to flicker between mission ranks. Especially D-ranks, which were just chores for newly minted teams to deal with. Once they were promoted to Chunin, then they wouldn't have to worry about raking leaves or picking up trash. Not that she really knew how that promotion happened, or when, but she was looking forward to it. Maybe, then, she’d have access to the shinobi library- where she assumed they kept all their sealing materials. Kurama said that, first, they needed to find the so-called ‘key’ to the seal… they had assumed that the Hokage would have it, but Naruto did some sneaking around in Jiji’s office and found zip.

**_“Likely, it will be in the hands of Konoha’s sealing master.”_ **

_“But we don’t know who that is, do we?”_

Kurama grumbled haughtily, and she took that as a no. Or he just hated whoever it was, which Naruto honestly thought was just as likely. Stupid seals.

“Naruto? What are you doing out here?"

Oh. It was Sakura. 

“Sakura-chan!” She skipped over to the pinkette, suddenly in a good mood, “I was just on my way for lunch! Wanna go for ramen with me?”

The girl paused, looking like she at least _thought_ about the offer- a step up from the vehement denial of before the Wave mission, “Uh, no. Not today, Naruto.”

Well, well, well, that wasn't a complete rejection, was it? Naruto grinned. 

“Y’know, ramen tastes the best after a long day of working hard. We should go get some after our next mission!"

“We'll see…” she seemed distracted, pulling at her hair and looking down. Again, not a total rejection which was... hm, weird. For Sakura, at least. Or maybe it was weirder for _Naruto_ \- because nobody except Hinata ever accepted whenever she asked them to hang out. Not that she often asked people but, but-

“Is something wrong?” Naruto asked.

Believe it or not, but Naruto thought maybe the two of them had formed a sort-of friendship… considering how they had almost died together a few times. That kind of thing formed a bond. Clear as day, Sakura had gotten nicer ever since Wave... in the sense that she no longer insulted everything Naruto had said and stopped hitting her so much. Naruto took that as a win.

Sakura leaned against a nearby fence, “It’s just…” she sighed longingly, “Sasuke-kun.”

Ew- boy troubles. Naruto didn't care much for it. She wasn't the type of fawn easily, and she didn’t have anyone in her life like that. The only man she’d ever fawn over was Kurama- and that's because he was such a cutie-pie. But that was in a platonic, almost familial way. Not in the way that Sakura was talking about- _that_ was something Naruto didn't understand. Kurama? Absolute cutie-pie. Human boys? Not so much.

He mentally nudged her, disagreeing. When would he just accept the fact that he was adorable?

Naruto pouted, “What's up with him, anyway? Why do you and Ino… and basically _every other girl in the world_ like him so much?”

Sakura raised an eyebrow, “Why _don’t_ you? Sasuke-kun is the best! You should know that- you're on a team with him!"

Naruto shrugged, “He's a stuck up bastard. He's always mean to me. He thinks he's better than everyone, including me, which is _not true!_ And I can't just use his looks to justify liking him despite his personality.” She made a promise to herself that she’d never been that kind of girl. Looks meant very little to her.

Sakura stiffened, “So he has some problems. Some really bad stuff has happened to him, Naruto! Can we blame him for having some issues?”

“He doesn't have to take out his problems on everyone else. Like it's not my fault, y'know,” she crossed her arms, “And some really bad stuff has happened to me, but you don’t see nobody giving me pity like that. And I wouldn't accept it, either.”

“Naruto…” Sakura sighed, “You just don’t get it, do you?”

“Not at all.”

“Have you really never had a crush on someone?”

Pretty pink cheeks and iliac eyes came to mind- no way. Not possible. That... _that_ just wasn't something that happened in Konoha- and even Naruto knew that!

“N-no!”

Sakura’s eyes took on a bright gleam and she smirked behind her hand, “Ah, but you’re blushing.”

“Am not! I’m just, uh, sick- or something!”

"I don't think I"ve ever seen you get sick before," Sakura laughed, “You can't hide it from me, Naruto! Romance is my specialty!”

Naruto wasn't about to point out how the only crush she had was constantly rejecting her half-hearted advances…but Naurot was going to keep quiet about that and the person she had, maybe, uh, just a little bit... might have thought of (because that meant admitting she did, in fact, have a crush) and she also didn't feel like getting slam-dunked over the head from 'withholding' information from Sakura. The girl was ruthless when it came to love- more so than anything.

(Naruto wondered if Sakura could redirect that ruthlessness into her Shionibi career.)

Her mind flashed again to lavender hair and lilac eyes. Gentle hands tugging at her own and hidden giggling as they ate lunch together in the recesses of the Academy playground. The silent support, the constant willingness to be by her side and support her. A bond that seemed to go beyond just simple friendship... 

“I told you, there's nobody!”

Because they were _both girls._ And she’d never seen two girls dating, before. So there had to be, like, some kind of rule against it, or something. And as much as Naruto was a rule-breaker, she didn't know if this was one rule she was okay with breaking.

“Uh-huh. Okay, let's settle this. If I guess the person, then you have to tell me, okay?” Sakura grinned and rubbed her hands together, "That way you're not actually telling me... so it;s okay! And I promise I would never tell anyone, unless you said I could!" She practically vibrated at the possibility of spreading around Naurgto's crush.

Why was she so into this?

Naruto didn't understand her logic behind that statement, but... well, it wasn't like Sakura would guess that she liked a girl- or, didn’t like a girl? She still didn't know how that worked - so she was okay with that. So long as her secret remained a secret. Or, if Sakura did figure it out and she was okay with it... then Naruto thought maybe they'd become better friends. Especially because Naruto wasn't some kind of weird competitor for Sasuke's attention.

“Fine.”

Then, instantly: “Kiba!”

“Ew!” Naruto recoiled, “Why would I like that _dog breath_?!”

Sakura gave her a look that said _your standards are low,_ and let out a sigh, "There are, like, three boys that I've ever seen you talk to. Besides: Kiba is stupid and loud. He's into fighting and pranks, same as you. I thought it was a good match."

Not horrible logic. Though the comparison was shocking enough that Naruto reflectively stuck her tongue out at her- to avoid fighting with words. She had none. Just disgust.

“Naruto-nee-san!”

She looked up to see, well, it was Konohamaru! Her little buddy! Or, like, her _kind of_ brother, seeing as he was Jiji's actual grandson, and Naruto was _basically_ Jiji's adoptive granddaughter. Or maybe they were more like cousins? Anyways, Konohamaru was one of her first human friends- due to all the time they spent wallowing in the Hokage's office when he babysat them together. They became friends through pure boredom.

“Konohamaru! What's up?”

The little boy was tailed by two more academy kids, one with glasses and a runny nose, and the other a cute little girl with orange pigtails that looked… oddly similar to Naruto’s. Huh. Now that she was squinting at them, she could see that all three were wearing clunky green goggles... uh, just like the ones that Naruto wore during her days at the Academy. Great. What she really needed right now were three copy-cats.

“We need a fourth player for our game. Do you wanna play with us, Naruto-nee-san?”

She blushed, looking at Sakura. “N-no. I, uh, I don't play with little kids. I’m a real-life ninja now, Konohamaru. I have responsibilities!"

“Naruto,” Sakura gasped, “It can't be…!" Recognition flooded the other girl's eyes and she steadily looked between Naruto and Konohamaru, shocked.

“It’s **_not_ **!”

Konohamaru was, like, a little brother! For Sakura to think that- and he was, like, three years younger than them! Ew! That was pedophilia or something!

"What was I supposed to think- you're blushing!" Sakura accused.

“I’m just embarrassed that they would ask, that's all.”

Sakura nodded, “Yeah, sure.”

“Sakura!” She screeched, horrified.

“Naruto-nee-san!” Konohamaru whined, jumping forward and grabbing her jacket (today it was a red hoodie with a cute lil fox on it that reminded her of Kurama), and began shaking her, “Play ninja with us, please!”

Sakura gave her a judgmental look and snorted, "You play ninja?"

“Well, Konohamaru, I’m _actually_ a ninja, so that's not fun anymore! I don't want to play something that I do for real."

The kid pulled away from her, pouting, “Fine, we’ll just you how super cool we are- then you’ll have to play with us!”

With a maniacal laugh, Konohamaru and his friends made some weird poses, before running off in the direction that they came- only for Konohamaru, too busy grinning over his shoulder at her to look where was going, slammed into some guy Naruto didn’t recognize. Konohamaru cried out and stumbled backwards- the guy never having moved an inch from the collision. Naruto whipped around to watch, eyes going wide- what an asshole! 

And... there was something wrong with his chakra. 

The air was thick, tense and suffocating. For a moment she thought she stopped breathing altogether. The guy reached out and grabbed Komohamaru by his shirt, twisting the fabric and pulling him off his feet as Konohamaru cried out in pain. Oh my god... were- were they being attacked?!

Konohamaru’s friends took a step back, and Sakura followed suit- a faint tremble in her hands the trickle of killer-intent in the air. If it wasn't for the stupid laws then Naruto would have no fear here- but judging by the gourd-symboled headbands of their attackers… they weren’t from around Konoha. Suna, maybe? She couldn't remember all the symbols… but she knew they _weren’t from Konoha,_ which was all that mattered.

**Her using Kurama’s powers on a foreign shinobi could be an act of war.**

If they weren’t _inside the village_ then it wouldn’t be a problem… but if these two were here, not being attacked by Konoha shinobi, then they had to be here for a _reason_. And she couldn't attack guests of Konoha. Again- it could be an act of _war_. And as much as she liked playing devil's advocate and causing headaches for Jiji- she wasn't about to start a war.

“Let go of him,” she said quickly, eyes narrowing. Kurama tried to leak out some chakra, merely intimidation, but she actually managed to stop it before it reached the gates of the seal. 

_“Not now, Kurama. Do you_ **_want_ ** _to start a war?”_

**_“More than anything.”_ **

She rolled her eyes. He’d have to get over that blood-lust of his eventually. Or, at least learn to be patient enough to get it out only during actual missions.

“Hey, what’re gonna do about it?” The black-cat-eared kid scoffed, and she bared her teeth.

Should she attack? Yes, these people were likely guests, and yes, she was a Jinchuuriki and thus had to be more careful than regular people… but at the same time, she was a Konoha _Shinobi._ And she had to protect her own. Konohamaru was one of her first friends, and one of her precious people. It was her duty to protect him.

She’d be damned if she let herself just stand by when her friends were in danger!

"You'll see just what I'm _going to do about it_ when you look in the mirror later, buddy," Naruto growled under her breath, raising her fists and running forward. Aside from a little bit of chakra in her step, it was a fairly basic attack. Nothing that hinted at Kurama’s role in her life. Just how she needed to keep it.

Something grabbed her ankle- she looked down and saw nothing, just as it _tugged-_

Her back hit the ground. She hissed as Konohamaru squeaked out in pain, the grip on his scarf clearly growing tighter. Could he still breathe?

“What the fuck-?”

The blonde girl, the one with a giant… fan-thingy just rolled her eyes, watching lazily as cat-ears raised a fist real close to Konohamaru’s face.

“Hey!” Naruto jumped to her feet, throwing an accusatory finger right at him, “I'm warning you! You better drop him right now… you fool!”

_Surely, B was laughing at her somewhere._

She went to throw herself forward again- only for Sakura’s thin, but semi-muscular arms to quickly wrap around her neck, pinning her in place. “The only fool is you, Naruto-chan!” Her teammate hissed in her ear.

She hissed, struggling, “I’m not just gonna let him hurt Konohamaru!”

Kurama pushed more chakra towards her. She wanted to smack him- or, maybe that feeling was caused by the tiny bit of violence-inducing chakra that she didn’t catch… either way, _he wasn’t getting any udon tonight._

**_“Kit.”_ **

She ignored him.

Instead, her eyes were hyper-focused on the fists slowly closing in on her young friend's face- and here she was, stopped by Sakura and unable to do anything other than watch… 

Stupid, stupid laws. She hated them. No wonder Roshi and Han ran from their villages years ago… being a loyal Jinchuuriki fucking sucked. You couldn't do anything inside and the village and she was supervised outside. It felt like she was constantly walking on eggshells... which was a very hard thing to do when you were pumped full of demonic chakra.

Then, cat-ears was groaning in pain, holding onto his wrist just as he dropped Konohamaru. First Naruto’s eyes went to the little rock, tumbling across then rolling to a stop against her foot. Then, up at the tree from where it had been thrown- _Sasuke!_ He was tossing a second rock in his hand casually despite the obvious smirk lacing his features. His eyes flickered to her own for a moment before returning back to the threat.

Stupid Sasuke. Here he comes again… stealing all her glory! As if he was able to do everything in the world and she was just some kind of loser.

**_“This is why I hate Uchiha.”_ **

She could only agree.

“Who are you, to come into Konoha and attack our people?” Sasuke asked, voice booming through the silent street.

Cat-ears glared up at him. “Konoha is weak,” he hissed, “And I’ll prove it to you myself if I have to.”

Sasuke didn’t look fazed. Of course, he didn’t. He was Sasuke Uchiha- ‘god’s perfect creation’. Capable of anything and everything. Konoha needed no other shinobi than Sasuke Uchiha since he was capable of protecting the village all on his own. because Sasuke Uchiha was _sooooo_ cool with his cool Sharingan and his cool hair that didn't at all look like a duck's ass.

 **_“Don’t even speak like that sarcastically,”_ **the fox’s claws rapped against the walls of the seal, warning. She mentally sneered at him but refused to move her eyes away from the danger right in front of her.

“Get your ass down here, punk,” cat-ears demanded.

Sasuke just sneered at him, clearly intent on staying in his position of high-ground… probably because he liked looking down on people so much.

“That's it! Little smart-aleck brats like you are the kind I hate the most,” cat-ears hissed, pulling on some of the gross-looking bandages that hung from… whatever it was that he had on his back.

“Oi, Kankuro,” the girl hissed to cat-ears- er, Kankuro, she guessed, “You’re not seriously pulling Crow out, are you?”

She looked nervous. And she seemed strong, too, just by the way she was standing. Which immediately meant that Naruto should be nervous if someone powerful was also nervous.

“Kankuro, stop being an idiot.”

Everybody froze.

Killing intent hit the air and it was so thick that Naruto could _feel_ it's tacky texture against her skin; clinging onto her like it could kill her itself. The two Sand-nin looked scored, their faces going pale and mouth's stuttering. Immediately Naruto's attention was directed to the source of their fear, the killing intent, and she swallowed thickly. What the hell was going on?

“G-Gaara?!”

Kyuubi chakra bubbled just under the surface, tingling at my skin as the inevitable layer of acid snuck just above her skin… ready for battle. Ready to seep into her opponent and poison from them from the inside out.

Kurama was silent. 

…

Just what the fuck was going on? Had she really been so distracted to not notice _that_ chakra behind the tree?

They all looked up- Sasuke seemed _surprised_ which was honestly a Christmas miracle - to find some kid standing upside down on the tree branch just behind the Uchiha. His eyes were cold, **dead**. He had the word ‘love’ tattooed on his forehead… but he didn’t look much loved, judging from the sudden waves of fear rolling off the other two Suna-nin. The killing intent only thickened in the air as this kid revealed himself, as if he were a tap and bloodlust was mere water.

**_“Kit.”_ **

She perked as Kurama's chakra fizzled under her skin. He seemed… agitated. Which didn't happen often; well, he was often mad.. but not like this. Pn edge. Like this kid was a danger- to himself or Naruto or whoever, she didn't know. Who was this kid? Why did he feel… _familiar_ , despite all the danger he seemed to carry with him.

There was something about his chakra. Something she couldn't quite grasp- dry, aching, scratchy… yet, wet…?

She sniffed and smelled _blood_.

_“Do you know who he is?”_

Better call in the expert. Kurama was a far better chakra sensor than Naruto was.

 **_“Shukaku’s Jinchuuriki,”_ ** Kurama explained, **_“While I know nothing about him specifically… I do know that Shukaku went mad decades ago. I can only imagine how that affects his vessel. I can tell from his aura alone that he's dangerous and unstable.”_ **

So… another Jinchuuriki. While he was the first she had actually met in _real life,_ he was one of the few who she had yet to connect with mentally… probably because, as Kurama said, his Bijuu was insane. She had attempted to reach him, once, but the pathway had been completely blocked by a wall of sand with... screaming echoing from the other side. When she had attempted to go through it anyways her mental arms had been ripped off and she had been locked out of the shared mind-scape for two weeks from the fallout. The mystery of the one-tailed JInhcuuriki was lost after that; Naruto had given up on anyone that fucked.

She had stopped trying to force her way into other people's seals after that.

She narrowed her eyes- it was more than that. Her chakra sensing had been steadily improving since Wave, and… there seemed to be something wrong with the tattoo on his forehead. The chakra there was… fucked up- or, well, that was the best way she could describe it.

His seal?

The boy, Gaara, teleported in a whisk of sand, coming to stand in front of their little group just as Sasuke leapt from his branch and settled in front of Naruto and Sakura- protecting. But Naruto didn’t need any damned protection, especially not from _another Jinchuuriki_ (because she was allowed to defend Konoha from foreign Jinchuuriki if she had to, right?), so she also muscled her way in front of the kids. And Sakura. She could feel a foxes grin worm onto her face.

Gaara and Sasuke faced off against each other-

“I am Gaara of the Sand,” the boy introduced himself, eyes only for the Uchiha. Of course. It's not like anyone else here would ever be a threat- _right_?

She mentally growled. The sudden influx of demonic chakra in the air almost had Naruto surprised that Gaara didn't outright claim his Jinchuuriki status to scare them. Looks like she’d have to do that, first. But, like, sneakily. Gaara would know what she was talking about, but it was doubtful if anyone else would. Good. Naruto didn't exactly feel comfortable sharing that part of her life with Sasuke and Sakura just yet.

“Uchiha Sasuke,” her teammate countered, and Naruto bristled at the way all three of the Suna-Genin immediately took interest in him. Uchiha. Stupid name.

Time for her to steal the show… 

“So, you're Shukaku's... student,” she said, eyes narrowing and stepping forward. She could feel the flush of Kyuubi chakra that moved through her coils, and she allowed the satisfying sting of it to remain. Her eyes were undoubtedly red, slitted. Warning.

Gaara’s eyes tore from the Uchiha and towards Naruto, immediately sensing the upcoming danger he had neglected. She grinned like the fox she was. His pupil's shrunk to pin-pricks when he realized that she knew exactly who and, more importantly, _what_ he was.

“Kurama," she briefly introduced her Bijuu (Kurama was upset at her using his name, but she ignored him), "Or, we,, I'm Naruto. _Kyu's_ student,” she pushed out her hand, pretending not to notice the widening of eyes and immediate step-back that the two older kids did at the announcement. Ah, they must have understood- Kyu, as in nine. Well, it wasn't Sasuke and Sakura so that was fine. Gaara refused her hand. She just kept grinning.

“You’re… you’re one of _them,_ ” the girl hissed.

Cat-ears didn't say anything, but he looked on the verge of puking, face going impossibly paler at the idea that not just _one_ Jinhcuuriki was here, but too. People didn't realize how destructive Jinhcuuriki really was until two of them duked it out- or at least that's what Yugito told her once. Plus, Naruto had Gaara beat by eight tails.

Naruto kept grinning.

“Konoha is under _our_ protection,” she said, turning to Gaara. She felt Sasuke shift- clearly thinking the other person she was speaking about was him. It wasn’t; the Sun-nin knew that. “If you have any questions, feel free to ask. If not then I suggest you leave- before I show you what a _proper_ 'student' can do."

Gara shook, eyes widening as she easily called him out. He looked up, eyes seeming to asses her and- was he speaking to Shukaku? Naruto couldn't tell, she didn't know what that looked like... and she also knew there was no way this kid had a good relationship with his Bijuu like she did. After all, Shukaku had gone mad. And, his seal seemed very... unstable. 

(She almost felt bad for him.)

(She thought of what her life would be if she wasn't friends with Kurama. She didn't like it.)

"I... see." Gaara frowned but nodded, clearly not (very)afraid of her, but understanding what she brought to the table, "We'll be taking out leave. Temari, Kankerou," he said to the other two- and they followed behind him like dogs with tails behind their legs. The two sent Naruto strange looks- too withered from fear to be a proper glare.

“Just like that?” Sakura asked under her breath, intently watching as the trio took off. At some point, she had stepped up to stand beside her and Sasuke.

“Naruto,” she turned- not liking the stupid glare Sasuke was sending her, “What was that about? What _do you know_?”

She just grinned, her eyes turning back to blue before either of them could notice. She scratched the back of her head lazily. “Ah, well, we have some mutual friends, I guess you could say. Only my mutual friend is scarier than his… so he's gotta respect me! It's called a pecking order, Sasuke, and I'm at the top of it."

 _Tsk._ There goes Sasuke with his signature catchphrase if you could even call it that.

She tried not to roll her eyes.

“As if, Naruto!” Sakura huffed, “Do you really expect me to believe that you have a friend outside the village? You hadn't even left before a while ago!"

“Inari!” She stuck her tongue out. Sakura gaped- looking almost ready to punch her.

Sasuke, on the other hand, looked like he wanted to interrogate her more. And because of the laws that Jiji set up… it wasn't like she could tell him the truth. Or wanted to, for that matter, considering how many people would be interested in her if they found out she could ‘control’ the Kyuubi. She shivered. Yeah, maybe Sasuke wouldn't go blabbing to everyone- but she knew how information spread like wildfire, intentionally or not. Thus, she needed to keep this a secret from her team.

~~(She was afraid they would think she was a Monster.)~~

She started walking away from the two of them, only realizing that Sasuke and Sakura hadn't moved until she turned the corner.

“Come to think of it, she mentioned a friend during our introductions…” Sakura mumbled.

Naruto supposed she _wasn't supposed to hear that_ \- but, well, she did. Demonic hearing and all.

“She especially said she was a student... so, she has a teacher? Those red eyes… I think I saw them in Wave when we fought that kid. And her chakra..."

_Or that, and that._

Abort. Abort. Abort.

She peeked past the fence and gave her two teammates a quick wave- which, honestly, was probably more suspicious than just continuing on silently... but, well, she was Naruto. 

She didn't miss the way Sasuke’s eyes flickered to the Sharingan, nor the little whisper under his breath.

“What is she hiding from us?”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has not yet been thoroughly edited like the past chapters all have been. Depending on if my plans get cancelled tomorrow then I'll edit it then. Thanks :)
> 
> also, I'm going to start including some of the chapters notes that I put on my document when I first write the chapters... y'know, like, three years ago. I don't really know what I'm talking about but like it's gotta mean something right?
> 
> Note: I noticed while editing that some of my quotation marks looked weird (maybe my keyboard went onto a European setting or something) and I fixed the few that I noticed but I'm not sure if there are any more lingering about. Let me know if you see any funky formatting, thanks ^^

She woke up in a shared mental escape to two new faces. They were both covered in red, and… they knew each other, didn’t they?

They seemed almost like… cartoon characters, with juxtaposed heights; the first one that she met was real short and honestly kind of grubby looking. He had wild red hair and a long beard, meanwhile, the other one had to be at least six-foot, probably even taller. There wasn't much else to him, physically, since the majority of his body and face was covered up with some weird-looking red armour, and he was wearing a metal rice-hat.

“So, yer the brat that's been conniving with the others?”

Naruto looked over to Roshi, blinking, “Yeah, that's me. Who are you?”

“Roshi,” the short man said, grinning, “Got that damned monkey in me. Real bastard, too, but I got a hang of his chakra so it's good!”

Monkey… monkey… Son Goku? The four tails?

The short man jabbed a thumb towards the taller one, “And this is Han. He doesn't talk much. He's got the five tails.”

“Uzumaki Naruto,” she introduced herself to the two of them.

Then, she noticed something.

“Neither of your Bijuu are here.”

Kurama shifted behind her- a steady and silent presence. For once.

(He exhaled through his nose, the draft ruffling her hair teasingly.)

Roshi made a dismissive motion with his hand, “I ain’t soft-hearted enough to go around playing with demons like they’re pets.”  
Naruto shifted, “But it’s pretty fun, y’know. Maybe you should try it,” she tried to be civil, but there was a little edge of animosity beneath her voice, and she didn't care if leaked through. Behind her, Kurama huffed once more at the thought of being called a 'pet' and Naruto copied the motion. “Though, I’m assuming you called me here for a reason.”

Be civil. They didn't have to be friends (though Naruto would like that), but they did have to at least know each other. Jinchuriki had to have each others back- since nobody else would.

Roshi’s eyes flickered towards the Kyuubi before moving back down to her, “Something's been stirring. I don’t know exactly what… but I figured I’d give ya the warning.”

Han looked real serious. Naruto ping-ponged between the two, ponytail slapping against the sides of her face. “Something that has to do with us?”

Roshi nodded, “More like the demons.”

Okay, this guy was starting to get on her nerves.

“So… what?”

Roshi scratched his beard, “Information's too scarce right now to say, but I would definitely be wary of any attacks because I don't imagine whoever's coming after a group of demon containers can be friendly."

Naruto nodded, "when the time comes, it would probably be better for us all to stick together. We're more fearsome as a group, and I think we can all put our differences outside when it comes to... uh, fighting for our lives."

The two men nodded.

“B and Yugito said I’m welcome to flee to B’s secret training area in Kumo, should anything happen… I think that extends to you and any other Jinchuuriki. Your Bijuu probably knows the way to go… so… just… uh, try and talk to them, They’re not as bad as ya think. Uh, don't call them pets though, they won't like that."

Roshi snorted but nodded at the information, “Pass on the warning to any others you encounter. I may not give a rats ass about all this demonic shit, but hey, I ain't gon be part of the problem. Figured we might as well let you know- since you've been tryin' a round up the Jinhcuuriki, right?"

“Yeah.”

She watched as the two humans faded out of (or back into?) existence. In their place, two beasts emerged through the faded blackness that stretched out around the fire. A monkey and a … horse-thing. Honestly, Naruto didn’t even know. It was, like, a horse mixed with a whale mixed with a... coral reef? Or something? She assumed by the tails flapping behind them that they were Son Goku and Kokuo.

“You wait until they leave to finally show up?” Naruto asked, raising a brow, “Y'all fighting or something?”

The monkey snorted, completely ignoring her, “ **Kurama,”** he greeted, **“I see you’ve finally been tamed... by a welp.**

The fox snorted back at him, **“It’s the other way around. The kit’s useful, when she actually tries to be. I've been teaching her."**

 **"I would listen to what our host said, Kurama. Don't allow your arrogance to cloud your judgment,"** the horse-thing strutted forward, tails flickering, **“the threat is a serious one. I suggest you be on the look for you and your kit's sake,”** she said, her voice surprisingly calming. Naruto smiled at her.

“We haven't even introduced ourselves, but you’re already looking out for me? You’re the best Bijuu yet!” She cheered, reaching forward to pat her leg. The horse looked down at her, a twinkle of a smile in her eyes. She gently nudged Naruto with her snout, and while her mouth didn't move there was a delightful pop of a laugh echoing through the mental scape. 

**“I am Kokuo. It’s a pleasure to meet you… kit.”**

The fond nickname left a little pool of warmth in her chest. Naruto smiled.

“Uzumaki Naruto- Jinchuuriki extraordinaire! It's nice to meet you,” she greeted with a huge grin.

 **“So you are,”** Kokuo smiled back, **“This is Son Goku. Don’t mind him, he's always had a complicated relationship with humans.”**

The monkey awkwardly scratched his back and snorted, shuffling away into the darkness.

She laughed, "Could it possibly be worse than Kurama?"

Claws pulled at her back, and suddenly she was being lifted up by the scruff of her collar, a single talon hooked on the inside and dangling her threateningly, not that she felt an ounce of fear. She looked at Kurama, poked her tongue out, and patted his nose. “Defensive,” she clicked her tongue.

**“He's right to be. It’s rare we stumble upon friendly humans.”**

“You should meet B,” Naruto laughed, “And hey, humans ain’t _that_ bad… when they try. When I’m through with all of you… the world will love ya!”

Son Goku grumbled at that. He cheekily sent Kurama the finger before strutting back into the darkness, fading away much as his Jinhcuuriki had just moments ago. Naruto waved but knew he couldn't see it.

Kokuo laughed, looking behind her, **“I should probably follow after him.”**

“It was nice meeting you,” Naruto said.

**“And you, as well.”**

And then, she was gone.

Naruto hung limply, not even bothering to fight against Kurama. “So… two more Bijuu marked down on the list of my friends?"

Kurama snorted, **“You’ve saved some of the more troublesome ones for last.”**

“You sound like Shikamaru.”

* * *

  
  
  


Kakashi-sensei had them meet him by the little red bridge (their meeting spot) the next day. He was giving them all a cheeky grin, despite being three hours late, but Naruto got in a good sketch of Gaara by the time he showed up, so that was okay. She had Kakashi's constant lateness to thank for her increase in artistic ability. She'd basically gone from terrible chicken scratch to drawings that Kurama could actually recognize without hints!

He held up three little passes, smiling at all of them, “I’m sure the three of you have heard by now, but the upcoming Chunin exams will be taking place in Konoha!”

They had _not_ heard.

“Chunin exams?” Sakura asked.

“Ah, so maybe you haven’t heard. Every few years, the Chunin exams are held in one of the five Great Villages- it’s an opportunity for the nominated Genin teams to be promoted to Chunin.”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, clearly interested, “And you’re telling us this, why?” Naruto figured he already knew but was just goading their teacher to give him what he wanted.

And Kakashi danced to his tune expertly- pulling out three cards with their names on them, “Because I already went ahead and register the three of you!”

“Awesome!” Naruto jumped up and snatched her own card from her teachers' hands, grinning like a fox. She held it out, staring at it in awe, “A Chunin? Can you imagine, Sakura-chan?”

The pinkette hummed nervously in response and took her own card, “When is the date of the exam, Kakashi-sensei?”

The man gave them a smile- Naruto hated that smile because it meant he was about to say something to _torment_ them, “Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?!” Sakura shrieked, “W-what do we need to bring? What if I need extra training?!” She bit her lip and wrung her hands before tearing them through her hair, “I- I’m still not done learning that Jutsu you taught me!”

“Ma- relax, Sakura-chan,” Kakashi said breezily, scratching the back of his neck, “The Chunin exams take place over several weeks. Only the first test is tomorrow. Also, participation is non-mandatory, so whoever of you three wishes to participate, meet at the academy tomorrow at eight.”

Sasuke took his card eagerly and Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke.

The three of them looked around at each other.

"I... um, do you think we're ready?" Sakura asked, turning to her two teammates nervously.

Naruto smiled and patted her shoulder, "Sure, Sakura-chan! I don't think Kaka-sensei would have registered us if we weren't ready."

Sasuke just nodded, crossing his arms, "We've already completed for an A-rank mission, and that's something that Chunin still considers dangerous. How worse can this be?"

Naruto grinned, "Yeah! And like Kaka-sensei said, only the first test it tomorrow. We can all train together later!"

Sakura looked up actually smiling a little bit, "Yeah? Thanks, guys."

Naruto gave her a hearty thumbs-up as she began trotting away, "Yeah! See you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow!" The pinkette replied, waving right back.

Sasuke tilted his chin at her, which was basically the Uchiha equivalent enthusiastically waving and screeching a farewell.

(Naruto felt her heart warm.)

* * *

They met at the academy the next morning and Sakura was already there, waiting for them. Naruto and Sasuke had met up along the way and walked over together, though they didn't talk, but Naruto thought it was a comfortable silence. Sasuke was just that quiet kind of guy. Naruto wasn't, but she just chatted with Kurama on the way over.

"Sakura-chan! You came!" Naruto cheered running forward.

"You 're saying that like I shouldn't have," the girl said, apprehensive.

“Nah. I just thought since you didn't have time to _prepare,_ or whatever, that you might not come.”

To be honest, Sakura seemed scared. And she was kind of weak. Physically, at least, because she was super smart, but like… shinobi needed more than just smarts to be good… uh, _shinobi_. Sakura knew this. So, Naruto half-expected her to stay home instead of taking that step into becoming a Chunin. Then again, they had tat nice talk yesterday that left even Naruto feeling more confident in herself- which was a hard feat considering how confident she tended to be on a regular basis.

The girl gave her a determined smile, “I’ll never get stronger if I don’t go out of my comfort zone!” She cheered, doing an unusual strong-arm pose, “I won’t let you and Sasuke-kun leave me behind!”

“That's the spirit!

Ironically, or maybe he planned it, Sasuke started moving towards the academy, literally leaving them behind. Bastard! He just ignored Sakura's sudden character-change!

“Sasuke-!” She whined, “I thought we were having a moment! Why do you have to ruin everything? You can at least acknowledge us!"

Naruto chased after him, Sakura not too far behind. The academy was actually fairly busy, with a whole variety of people that they didn't recognize. Naruto paid close attention to their headbands, watching as the symbols changed frequently- though there were more Konoha shinobi than she expected. Since when did they have so many Genin in the village? The only other teams she regularly saw were the two that graduated from their class. 

As they got closer to the door they encountered some commotion: a group of Konoha Genin were getting their asses kicked by the people standing by the door. But… something didn’t seem right- the door had a veil of chakra on it? A genjutsu, if she had to guess, but she was absolutely terrible at that kind of thing. There were several people crowding around it, including a Konoha genin team... which was getting a beatdown. Specifically, just a guy in an awful green spandex suit and a bowl cut and- hey, with a second... there was something weird about his chakra! Like, it felt all twisted up and gross, maybe not grosser than Kurama's chakra ( _"Brat.")_ but Naruto couldn't even imagine moulding that into jutsu.

“Lee!” The female on the squad yelped, just as the green-guy (Lee?) was knocked to the ground. 

Her own squad moved forward, snarling at the two guys blocking the door, “Let us through!” Naruto demanded, “You have no right to block us!”  
The guy with spiky hair and a bandage over his nose scoffed, “Anyone who isn't strong enough to get passed us isn't strong enough to take the Chunin Exams!”

“Well, I oughta-”

Naruto was about to attack, only for Sasuke step in, launching a well-timed attack on spikey-hair. There was a flash of green, and none other than green-spandex stepped in the way and expertly caught Sasuke’s foot as if he was catching a throw from a six-year-old. Sasuke’s eyes widened and he pulled away and green-spandex did the same. Clearly, this dude wasn't weak. So why was he getting beat up by the two jerks in front of the door?!

“Lee!” The girl hissed, “you just ruined our trick, and for that?”

“I’m sorry!” Bushy-brow claimed, standing straight-as-an-arrow and saluting, “But I cannot allow an unfair fight! That is not youthful!”  
The girl sighed.

“Besides…” bushy-brow moved over to where Sakura and Naruto were standing, and _winked,_ “Two beautiful girls are here!”

Naruto fell over.

“What's your name?” Bushy-brow asked, moving past Naruto and reaching to grab Sakura's hands, “My name is Rock Lee! If you don't mind, can I get yours?"

“Uh… Haruno Sakura," she edged away, critically looking at the poor guy's face. If was;t like he was ugly, per se, but damn he needed a pair of tweezers.

“Will you go on a date with me? I swear- I will protect you until the day I die!”  
Naruto wasn't the only person who overreacted. Sakura hurriedly crushed the dude off and stepped over Naruto's fallen form.

“N-no thanks,” Sakura squirmed away. 

Naruto stood up, huffing and moseying her way in front of Sakura, “Hey! Are you bothering my friend?"

“Ah, oh, hello! What is your name?!”

“Uzumaki Naruto,” she crossed her arms, ready to tear this guy a new one for harassing Sakura- that was a Team Seven only privilege!

“Well, it's nice to meet you, ma'am. My name is Rock Lee! Would you like to get dinner sometime?"

She fell over. Again.

“What am I, sloppy seconds?!”

Kurama growled.

She turned around in a huff and grabbed Sakura and Sasuke, pushing them away, “Let's get out of here! It’s full of no-goods!”

“But Naruto-!” Sakura whispered, harsh, right into her ear, “We can't just leave! Did you forget about the exam?”

Naruto leaned over, “There's something off about all this. Chakra on the door. I think it might be a genjutsu.”

Sasuke gave her a stern look and his Sharingan activated to check out the door- obviously, he'd be able to tell if it was a genjutsu far better than Naruto could. Naruto immediately reverted her eyes- because _fuck that,_ she did _not_ need any more Sharingan in her life than she already was forced to deal with. Kurama trashed slightly in his seal, and Nauto rubbed her stomach to try to calm him down.

“Genjutsu, like Naruto said,” he answered, eyes spinning before fading back to black, “The real room is upstairs. How did you know?”

“Yeah… you did something similar in Wave, too… with the fog,” Sakura butted in.

Naruto scratched the back of her neck, “Uh- it’s a technique from my clan. I got nobody to teach me so I’m not real good, but… yeah. I can do some chakra sensing.”

They stepped inside the gymnasium and moved towards the stairs when somebody cleared their throat from behind them. They all turned to find Bushy Brows there, looking all proud and smug and determined, and stuff. How could anyone ever be confident while wearing a full spandex suit? Naruto squinted at him.

“I… I want to fight you!” he announced, pointing at- Sasuke?!

“What? So, I'm your second choice for a date and now I'm not even your first choice to fight?” Naruto hissed, stepping forward and rolling up her sleeves, “You wanna go, Bushy Brows? I’ll show you that I deserve first place!”

Lee scowled, but his eyes didn’t detract from her as she moved forward, “I think it's unyouthful to hit girls,” he said, “But I also think it's unyouthful to discriminate against any opponent. I will fight anyone worthy."

So, like, he _would_ hit women? She was confused. And did he just call her a worthy opponent? She didn't want to use the word flattered, cause that was, like, romantic? But she was flattered-in-a-violent-way.

And… was he winking? Sakura was dodging something, looking ready to throw up. Naruto was unnerved enough to lower her fists in confusion. If this guy was a nut job then he was either a complete weakling or some super-shinobi. There was no in-between: all the strongest fighters were insane. Take Kaka-sensei and Killer B for example.

“What's up with this guy?”

Sasuke stepped forward, “You blocked my kick earlier.”

"He harassed us, too," Naruto grumbled, Sakura eagerly nodding beside her. Sasuke caught her eye and frowned.

Bushy Brows bowed, “My apologies. I saw two girls and couldn't resist!"

Naruto blanched. What, did he do that with every girl he saw? Why the hell was _this guy_ some kind of a player? 

Sasuke flexed his arm with a growl- and Naruto felt chills down her spine because she _knew_ that he had just activated the Sharingan, “You want a fight? Fine. I’ll give you one.”

Sasuke ran forward, but, somehow, even with the Sharingan, Lee was faster. He dodged the blow and swung down his leg in a devastating axe-kick, crushing Sasuke head and toppling the Uchiha to the floor.

“Sasuke-kun!” Sakura shouted.

Naruto balled her fists together but stopped Sakura from interfering, “It’s his fight,” she said, “Just have your medical-stuff ready for when it’s done.”

“You don't think…”

Sasuke flashed a glare their way, and Naruto shot back a cheeky grin.

“Bushy Brow is gonna need it.”

Sasuke smirked at her, and Naruto immediately looked away- she didn't like the guy, yeah, but she'd still support her teammate over some rando that made her Sakura's second fiddle twice in a row.

The fight continued. Sasuke started using ninjutsu at some point, probably when he realized that his taijutsu was constantly being beaten down by green-spandex at every twist and every turn. Fireballs scorched the floors and walls- was ninjutsu even allowed inside of the academy? Probably not. Heh. As long as it wasn't Iruka-sensei cleaning it up, she was fine.

Lee managed to easily flip and doge past all the fireballs, running himself up to Sasuke and attempting to slam a devastating blow. Sasuke turned, the hit just barely missing, and kicking out his own foot- Lee dodged the blow, but Naruto was sure it had to hurt. Sasuke seemed to be grabbing better footing in the fight by the second; stupid Sharingan might be useful sometimes, after all. He was pushing Lee back towards one of the walls of the gym, shuriken flying to buy him the time to go through another set of hand seals- and the resulting grand-fireball was enough to singe Bushy Brow’s hair and clothes.

Sasuke's chakra was improving, Naruto thought, before he could barely get through that jutsu with chakra to spare, and now he just aced with. And Lee still didn't seem to have any- that, or something was wrong with his system. Was it even possible for a human (let alone a shinobi) to live without chakra? Most likely, she thought, was that his chakra system was just terrible. He had no natural ability to mould it.

As the fight escalated, it appears that Bushy Brows was falling behind, that was until he started unwrapping the bandages on his arms. Something seemed to shift about him- not his chakra, which was still clumped together awkwardly, but rather... his price. Almost seemed like a different person altogether. Naruto grimaced when she got a good look at those hands- marred and scarred, and… was that a set of stitches? How did he even fight with those _things_?

Yet... it wasn't like that was anything new. Kakashi had the big scar over his eye, Sasuke had his various scars (most of them mental) and Sakura… even Sakura had her own set. Scarring was as much a Shinobi's uniform as their headband was. Naruto peeked at her teammates and... Sakura's hands were calloused. There was a long, thin scar going up to her forearm that she had snagged on Wave's bridge.

Naruto looked at her own hands. She didn't have even a single scar on her body. All of her wounds healed too fast to even have a chance at scarring.

That was a good thing. Right?

(Why did she feel left out?)

“Forbidden technique…!” Lee shouted, rushing forward, “Konoha Lotus!”

He kicked Sasuke into the air. The two of them seemed to float there, as if by magic (chakra? Since when could Lee use his chakra?). The bandages floated up like snakes of their own mind, moving to wrap around Sasuke and snug tight as Lee moved into position... but position for what? Her heart rate began hammering- how the hell was Sasuke supposed to get out of that?!

A pinwheel shot out of nowhere, stabbing through the bandages and pinning it (ha) into the wall. Following that- a tortoise. Big and ugly and wearing a Konoha headband. A man appeared in a puff of smoke, reminding Naruto a little too eerily of Kakashi- like, they had a similar aura? She didn't know, he just did. He was in some weird pose… that may have looked good- if it had been a girl doing it. He wasn't. So, the pose would forever haunt her sleep.

Also, he was practically a mirror image of Bushy Brow… bushy brows and all. He was even wearing the spandex and- nope nope _nope_ , they could see _all_ of his junk.

Immediately, Kyuubi chakra flooded her coils, just as repulsed as she was.

“Lee!” The man shouted, and the two of them got into some kind of argument… that ended with a bone-crushing hug and… a sunset? Was this genjutsu?

Naruto rubbed her eyes, and it was gone. Nothing but a mirage. 

“Sorry about that,” the man said, waltzing over to them like he owned the world. Naruto decided, even if she could see his junk, that he was actually kind of a cool guy. Or, at least he had the _confidence_ of one. She could respect that.

**_“No. No, Naruto. Don’t.”_ **

Someone was jealous.

A tail mentally whacked her in the back of the head.

The man seemed to observe them for a second, rubbing his chin as he squinted at their appearances, "orange, pink, and blue... ah, I've heard about you before! You're Kakashi's team, aren't you? Great to finally meet you… I am known as Konoha’s Blue Beast, Might Guy!” he flashed them a huge grin and a thumbs up.

Naruto fell over. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree, huh? At least they couldn; see Lee's junk; point Lee.

“You know Kakashi?" Sakura asked.

“He's only my eternal rival! I think our record is currently sixty-one to sixty… in my favour, of course!” The man threw his head back and let out a hearty laugh.

 _Yeah right…_ she heard Sasuke sputter under his breath.

She understood- Kakashi was so much cooler than this guy.

“Well- uh, the exam is about to start, so we better go...” Naruto said, inching away.

“Ah, yes, you kids better run along… Lee- you will proceed with your punishment after the exam is over! Punctuality is most youth," he ended solemnly, to which Lee bowed.

“Yes, sir!”

They reached a long hallway in the academy with a large, thick door on the end. Just as Naruto was about to push it open- fucking Kakashi appeared from nowhere.

“Hello, everyone,” he said, chipper as always. Too chipper. “I see you all decided to come… perfect! I didn't tell you earlier, but the Chunin Exams require full team attendance in order to participate!”

“What…?!” 

It was strange, how they could sometimes speak at the same time. Like, twins. Or, uh, triplets. Of course, Sasuke never had the right energy, he wasn't a team player.

“You told us we didn't have to come-!” Naruto pointed her finger right in Kakashi’s face, hissing and spitting, “You lied! You lied to us, Kaka-sensei!”

“Well, I didn't want the two of you to intimidate poor Sakura into coming, now did I?”

“We wouldn’t-” Naruto stopped and ducked her head and chuckled because she totally would have. Sasuke scoffed.

“And what if only Naruto and I had come?” he asked.

“I would have turned you away as soon as you got here-” Sasuke made some choking sound, “But, since the three of you are all here I suppose I could let you inside!”

He poofed away as if he wasn't even there in the first place. Naruto stuck her tongue out at the spot he had just been, and Sakura chuckled nervously. It seemed his comment about them forcing her to come had gotten to her a little... Naruto patted her shoulder and sent her female teammate a bright smile.

They finally stepped into the classroom.

Immediately a wave of killer intent hit the three of them- Sakura instantly shrunk back. Sasuke was tense. Naruto tried her best to look the part, but after facing the full front of what the raw destructive blood-lust of a Bijuu… killing-intent from humans had just never the same to her. Kurama had ruined it. Which, she supposed, was a good thing. She skipped forward with her team as the two other rookie squads showed up. Her and Hinata shared a little smile- the poor girl doubted herself way too much, and Naruto always felt the need to encourage her. They’d spared enough together in their bi-weekly training sessions for Naruto to know that she was pretty fucking strong, and a lot stronger than anyone gave her credit for.

(Of course, Naruto was a lot stronger than everyone thought, but that was for other reasons-)

Then some other guy showed up… Kabuto, or whatever. He kind of gave her a bad vibe… or, maybe that was the smell. He smelt like some dumb hospital room, and Naruto had only ever had _bad_ experiences with hospitals. He seemed friendly enough, but… she shivered as she got another whiff of disinfectant and latex. 

He had some little cards that Sasuke was interested in… and boy oh boy did he look stupid twirling them around on the floor like that. A map showed up with some green bars and symbols, but Naruto wasn't too interested. What was the point of those numbers when she could just look a the people? They were already here!

Instead, she surveyed the room.

The killer intent had died down a bit at the arrival of the others (she and Hinata-chan gave each other a quick hello before the poor Hyuuga was pulled away by Dog Breath for fraternizing with the enemy) but the KI was still considerably high considering how most of these shinobi were in foreign territory. They should be acting on their best behaviour… unless they wanted her to actually get to play her part as village Jinchuuriki and whip their asses? It was her duty to protect the village! And stuff.

_Speaking of Jinchuuriki._

She spotted Gaara and his two… teammates, she assumed, leaning by one of the desks. The two older kids seemed to be pretty… frightened of Gaara, and while she understood it, she didn't really like it. The guy was unstable, sure, but it wasn't his fault.

Maybe if he and Shukaku learned to get along better… surely they could work out their differences?

“Naruto?”

She looked up to see Sakura’s concerned face.

“What?” 

“I know it’s intimidating, but…” The pinkette frowned, “Well, uh, don’t be scared, okay?” She tried to smile, really, and Naruto was glad for the effort (were her and Sakura finally friends?) but she didn't like what that look of pity entailed.

She just grinned at her, “I’m not scared!” she said, a little too loud, “I’m… I want everyone in this room to know that I ain’t gonna lose to a single one of you!” She declared, raising her fist and staring down the room…

And the level of killer intent just raised again.

Heh. Like that scared her. She had a literal demon living in her stomach.

“Naruto!” Sakura hissed, grabbing her shoulder and whacking her over the head, “It’s... it's just a joke, everyone! She's, uh, kind of an idiot, so don’t take what she said seriously!”

Sasuke sent them _both_ a glare as Sakura continued hissing under her breath.

“Naruto-chan you got me glared at!”

She turned to both of them and shrugged, “Just being honest!”

Kabuto was frowning as he once more butted himself into their conversation, “anything specific you guys want to know about? My cards have information on the majority of opponents here."

“Gaara of the Sand,” Sasuke immediately said, still keeping a partial eye on her in case she tried... anything. She flipped him off. She wasn't a baby that needed babysitting, thank you very much.

What was his deal, anyway? She stuck her tongue out at him, but it wasn’t as playful as she would have liked. He seemed to be watching her a lot… like he _knew_ something. And Naruto had a lot of things about her that she didn't want anybody to know. 

But one thing she did want to know more about Gaara. The kid had problems with his Bijuu… and she just happened to be the resident Bijuu-friendship expert!

 **_“Kit,”_** Kyuubi hissed- warning. She laughed at him, shrugging. 

_“I wooed you. Just admit it.”_

Kurama stayed silent. Good move.

“Multiple A-rank missions for a Genin…” Kabuto whisted, seeming surprised... by the information he gathered? This was fishy. "That's pretty unheard of."

Oh, right, the card. There didn't seem to be much on him, but that wasn't extremely unusual, considering how he was a shinobi from a foreign village… and a Jinchuuriki to boot (which had been conveniently left off of his card). Villages seemed to be secretive about their Jinchuuriki, which was understandable. They were basically human-weapons.

 **_“Not basically, kit. That's_ exactly _what you_ ** _**are**._ ** _”_ **

She decided not to say anything to that, but the sting was still there. Sure, some people saw her like that… but not Jiji, surely. And her teammates… well, if they knew.

_Maybe she should tell them after the exam…_

****"We completed an A-rank," Sakura informed kabuto with a twinge of pride. Naruto slapped her on the back and laughed.

She looked back to the card and frowned when it was instead a picture of Rock Lee. Boring. The guy was a part of their village, and seemed friendly enough… and while he was a formidable fighter, she wasn't overly scared of him. At the worst, she’d get beaten up in a fight, but not killed or anything. And she healed quick, so anything less than death was acceptable.

The biggest threat was... 

She looked back to where her fellow Jinchuriki stood. She noticed his eyes on her. He looked away. Funny- she hadn't imagined him to be the shy type. Then again, being seen as a living weapon and a harbinger of destruction didn't often net you friends.

Quickly, she moved away from her own group and towards his.

“Gaara-chan!” She called- and the overly friendly attitude wasn't just a ploy. She… actually kind of wanted to be friends with him. While she knew B and Yugito through their _connection_ she’d never actually met another Jinchuuriki in real life.

It felt… special.

“I’m sorry about the other day-” she quickly said, still grinning, “You’re Shukaku’s Jinchuuriki, right? I’m Kurama’s! Uh, you already knew that… but, like, were the same!”

Something shifted in Gaara’s expression. The mention of Shukaku seemed to throw him off balance, but the admission of her own Bijuu… changed it. Maybe, she thought, it made his eyes softer.

“You mentioned that yesterday,” he said, quietly, “Kurama… which one is that?”

She blinked, “Oh, right, he… uh, doesn’t tell a lot of people his real name,” she smiled as sweetly as she could- which probably looked scary because she was more used to just plain old grinning… funnily enough: like a fox, “Kyuubi. Uh, big, tall, ugly fox guy. He thinks he's the best at everything,” she rolled her eyes- since it didn’t seem like any of them got the _joke._

**_“You told a joke?”_ **

_“_ ** _You’re_** _a joke.”_

The two people beside Gaara stared at her in shock and fear and disgust, and if she hadn’t long since gotten used to such looks she would have been offended. Gaara, too, didn’t look overly pleased. 

“Uh, I never got your names,” she quickly turned to them. Well, she thought the guy was Cankersore or something, but she’d been raised to at least some form of manners, thank you very much! She would call him that if she didn't know what his name actually was.

 **_“You give people weird nicknames all the time,”_** Kurama scoffed, but that was just to hide the laugh under his breath.

 _“Kura-kun,”_ she teased back, ending the conversation then and there. Bad nicknames? She thought it was cute!

Maybe they thought it was a threat, or something because both of the sand-nin were sweating at her attention.

“Temari…” the girl said, quietly. She looked like she wanted to run away.

Well, at least it was better than the boy, who didn’t just look like he wanted to shit himself - he looked like he _actually did,_ “Kankuro.”

“Nice to meet you,” her smile morphed into a grin, “I’m Naruto Uzumaki! I like ramen and dogs!”

They blinked.

She just continued to smile. It was kind of her thing. “Because, y’know, you’re looking at me like I’m a monster. And monsters don’t like ramen and dogs.” Well, they did. If you considered Kurama a monster, which he wasn't. Kurama also didn't like dogs- but she didn't have to tell anyone that.

(Did Shukaku like dogs? She had so many important questions.)

Their mouths dropped open.

Her grin stretched too thin and she shrugged her shoulders awkwardly, "Kidding?” 

Nobody looked like they believed that. Not even her.

Instead, she just turned to Gaara. “It… kind of seems like you’re having some trouble with Shukaku. Y’know, I’m pretty good with Kurama, myself, so maybe I could help you out sometime?”

Gaara didn’t look pleased with the notion that he needed _her_ help _,_ but she was satisfied that, at the very least, he didn't reject it, either. He just stood there. With his arms crossed, looking like somebody had just pissed in his cereal. Huh. That would be a mean prank, wouldn't it?

“Naruto?! What are you doing over there?”

She looked over her shoulder at an annoyed Sakura- and whoa, something was flashing right behind her-

“Look out!”

It was too late. Kabuto had already hit the ground by the time the words managed to choke themselves out. She was running towards them, and before she had even realized that she was doing a bit of Kurama’s chakra leaked out of her system, permeating the air and causing a slick acid layer to hover over her skin.

But it looked like the attack had missed.

Only for Kabuto’s glasses to shatter and stomach to turn. She looked away when he retched, and Sakura moved forward, the medic in her immediately moved into action.

“What _happened_?!” She hissed.

“The sound ninja just came over and attacked him!” Ino yelped back, looking almost afraid. Naruto instinctually moved between her and the sound-nin in question. He was grinning at them. She didn't like Ino... but dammit she wouldn't just leave someone scared alone!

“Maybe next time you’ll know better than to flash around them stupid cards of yours,” he spat.

The cards?  
Naruto looked down just in time to see the faintest flash of her face on a card before Kabuto scooped it up in his palm. His eyes met hers. She ignored him and instead turned to Sasuke, gaze accusing. Her mouth opened-

“Quiet down, runts!”

Everyone in the room froze.

“You better not be starting no fights before the test has even begun!” the man- Ibiki, she remembered - slammed his hand down on a table, eyes wildly as they stared down the sound-nin.

He shrugged, “We’re from such a _small village_ that we’ve never learned how to properly conduct ourselves,” the sarcasm oozed from his lips even more than acid from her arms. Naruto felt the need to slap him- that'll show him!

“I don't give a fuck,” Ibiki countered, “I’m the protector from the first exam, and you’re gonna do as I say! No fight should break out without our permission, or you're disqualified! Now, everyone grab a number and sit down at your assigned seat!”

They quickly did so- and Naruto found herself in the center of the classroom, seated right next to the quiet, respectful little Hinata-chan. Sweet! How did she manage to get so lucky, being seated right next to her best (human) friend?

Naruto and Hinata fist-bumped silently under the table. Together they were unstoppable!

But then the tests were handed out… and everything started going downhill…. Just her luck. The Chunin Exam was a _literal exam_. Naruto didn't think she'd ever had to see one of these disgusting things in her life again- she felt like she was going to puke at even just the box to put her name in. Triggered! She was having war flashbacks!

**_“Didn’t you almost fail the academy?”_ **

She mentally poked her tongue out at him, _“I passed the final exam, didn't I? Some kids in my class didn't.”_

**_“Congratulations. You’re not a complete and utter idiot. Just a normal idiot.”_ **

She frowned outright at that, but the conversation was put on hold as the protector, Ibuki, explained the rules of the exam. She was starting out with ten points… getting a question wrong would result in one-point loss, and getting caught cheating was two.

_And if any squad member ended with zero points- the entire team failed._

This wasn't just about the individual, but the strength of the team. They had to work together without being able to communicate. Great.

(She could feel Sasuke and Sakura's glares on the back of her head.)

She hastily wrote her name down on the page, grimacing as she didn't even understand the _first_ question. Aren't the first one's supposed to be easy?! Naruto squirmed in her seat. She… she had to get at least _one_ right- just one! As long as she didn’t fail the test, and didn’t get caught cheating (absolutely no cheating allowed!) then she'd be fine. And Sasuke and Sakura, too! She trusted that her teammates (Sakura being the brainiac that she was) would be able to pull the rest of the points together- just so long as she didn't get a zero and automatically disqualify them.

 _“Do you know any of these?” S_ he asked, mentally sobbing as she went from question to question. It didn't seem like even a single one was low enough for her standards…

Kyuubi snorted, and she had the image of him laying his head down on his arms, **_“As if a demon of my multitude has any need for human maths.”_ **

…

_“So you’re as much of an idiot as I am, huh?”_

The fox’s chakra bubbled under the surface of her skin- sizzling and stinging. She pouted.

 _“This isn’t good, Kurama! We need at least one question… and we have none!”_ She nearly broke her pencil in half.

**_“Why even bother with this, kit? It’s not going to help you will the seal.”_ **

_“I know, but maybe if I get to Chunin I can find a sealing instructor? I doubt anyone with such a specialized skill will want to be teaching some Genin, and Kaka-sensei doesn't seem too big on it… and we still need to find who has the key to the seal. If I’m a Chunin, then they’ll probably trust me with the information...”_

Kurama sighed, **_“Y_** ** _ou only need one point to pass, and there's still the tenth question. Or, there's also the fun option… cheating,”_ **the fox flashed his fangs eagerly.

_“Kurama! If I get caught then I’ll lose two points… which means we’ll need, uh, three questions right to make up for it! That's impossible! We can't answer any of these questions already; how would we ever be able to get three questions right?"_

**_“Just don't get caught,”_ ** the fox rolled onto his side lazily, picking at his teeth as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, **_“These questions… I doubt many will have the answers to them. This test seems to be more on intel gathering than knowledge.”_ **

She sat back in her seat. Intel gathering, huh? She tapped her chin, thinking of ways she could do that. Sasuke had the Sharingan… uck, no way would she ever consider using it. Uh, Sakura was smart… but too far away. Oh, wait, she was sitting next to Hinata! And Hinata was super, super smart! Like, maybe as smart as Sakura? But not a nerd like Sakura was. Naruto would defend taht until the day she died.

She caught Hinata’s eye, and perhaps the girl had the same idea as her because she smiled and whispered, “It's okay. You can look off me.”

Aw… really? She'd read her mind!

But, now that she was offering… Naruto kind of felt bad. Cheating off her, that was. What if both of them got caught, and then not only Naruto’s team but also Hinata’s failed, as well? She didn't like Dog Breath and didn't really know anything about Shino other than he liked bugs- but she still didn't want to be the reason they failed. Escally Hinata. The Hyuuga had worked so, so hard for this chance... and Naruto knew she probably stayed up all night deliberating whether or not to come to take the test in the first place. Or- probably, Kiba pressed her into it.

(Though, Hinata was definitely strong enough to be a Chunin. Her dad was an asshole and ignored her, but Nautto definitely thought Hinata was some kind of prodigy.)

“Er- what if you get caught?” She whispered back- her eyes reflectively looked up to one of the several men at the sides of the room.

His eyes met hers. He smirked and began writing something down. She swallowed, sincerely hoping it wasn't her name that was just put down. Or Hinata’s.

“It’s fine,” Hinata whispered back, sneakily pretending to sneeze while ducking down. Just as she did, the papers on their desks magically switched, and suddenly Naruto was face to face with an exam with all the correct answers on it. Daunting. She didn't even understand what the answers said.

She didn’t even need to open her mouth; Hinata was already quickly scribbling the correct answers down, clearly exerting some effort into making her writing look more messy, like Naruto’s. Hinata pretended to cough this time and the papers were back where they originally were meant to be. Naruto immediately surveyed the writing; yup, she didn't understand most of what it said... but she trusted Hinata's intelligence to know the Hyuuga could ace these stupid questions. especially the math ones.

“... Thank you.”

“It's what friends are for," Hinata replied, ducking her head to hide her blush, "You would do the same for me... if you knew how to do the math, that is.

Despite the burn (which she, unfortunately, couldn't reply to without making and a scene, and dammit Hinata knew that!), her chest warmed, and she swore that she would make it up to Hinata, someday.

The clock kept ticking and before they knew it, it was time for the final question.

“Listen up, runts,” Ibiki yelled, rushing to the front of the classroom, “It’s time for the tenth question! But, before that, there has been a change to the rules, so make sure to listen well, because I ain’t going to repeat myself!”

Everyone in the room immediately gave him their full attention.

“This final question comes with a danger none of the others had before, and so I’m going to give you a choice now. You have the choice of taking the question or giving up the exam now."

“Why would we leave?” Naruto huffed, “Bring it on!”

Ibiki’s eyes snapped to her, and he gave her a wicked, evil grin. Even eviler than Kakashi’s chipper smile. “Because if you fail the question… then you fail the Chunin Exam.”

Her stomach dropped.

“Forever.”

Her chair clacked behind her as she ripped herself to her feet, “You can't do that!”

“Can’t I? I am the examiner for this test, and you will abide by my rules! Sit down before I throw you out of the Chunin Exams forever!”

She closed her mouth and sat down, but she wasn't happy about it.

“As I said, you’ve all been given a choice. You can either drop out now and retake the test next year, or you can try your luck against the tenth question and either pass or fail.”

Naruto gritted her teeth and crossed her arms. They were at a dilemma, weren't they? What- she finally managed to (cheat) answer all the questions… and now they don't even matter?

“Bullshit,” she hissed, “This is bullshit!”

Ibiki raised an eyebrow, “Then feel free to leave.”

“That's also bullshit,” she argued.

“Then don't take the question,” he was obviously getting annoyed with her.

“I already said- bullshit!”

Ibiki put up his hand, “I’m done with you, kid. You can sit there and be mad all you want, but it's not changing the exam. If you hate it that much then you're free to leave at any time,” then he turned to the rest of the group when Naruto settled with a huff, “anyone who wishes to drop out… now's your chance.”

Naruto sat, fuming, for a few minutes… and then, somebody raised their hand. His teammates were rejected by him. It seemed to open the floodgates, because after the first group left it was like a waterfall of people complaining and going through the doors, exiting the Chunin Exams for this year around.

Naruto still hadn't moved.

They had come this far- she couldn't give up now, could she?

Hinata was trembling. Naruto grabbed her hand under the table. She looked back at Sakura- also trembling, slowly, raising her hand. Their eyes met.

Naruto hissed under her breath.

Was she really about to let some stupid guy terrorize her friends, like this?

She slammed her hand down, huffing.

“You, again? Are you finally dropping out?”

“No way! Do you think you can terrorize us? Well, guess what? I ain't scared of your question… I won’t let you stop me from being a Chunin, got it? I won’t let you!”

The man scoffed, “so, I take you it decided to stay for the… ‘bullshit’, as you so eloquently put it.”

She nodded, snorted, crossed her arms, and promptly fell back to her chair, comfortable in her decision. “Imma be the best, ya hear me? Cause I got a promise to keep, and ain't nobody going to stop me from keeping it.”

She tried to mentally high-five Kurama. He flicked her in the forehead, but there was a sweet kind of warmth behind it.

She turned in her chair and saw pretty much the entire room staring at her. Sakura gave her a meek thumbs up and Sasuke had some weird smirk on his face and his chin resting on his folded hands. She grinned at them.

“I don’t suppose anyone else wants to drop out…?”

Nobody raised their hands. Ibiki sighed, "Fine," he said, looking grumpy as he crossed his arms, "Get ready to the finale of this exam then...-!"

“You all…. Pass.” he smiled.

“Huh?” Naruto turned in her chair faster than the speed of light.

Ibiki laughed, “after all that and you didn’t even figure it out? I feel like I should fail you for that, but you did technically get it right. The tenth questions… was the decision on whether or not to stay in the exams.”

“ _Huh_?!”

“Kid, be quiet for once,” Ibiki growled, “Chunin are squad leaders; they have to be decisive and strategic. If you're in the middle of a mission, you can’t just give up and turn around because the result may be bad… it is up to the Chunin to asses the situation make the decision to carry on with the mission! The will of the village and the outcome of the mission is critical, and it's Chunin who has to make that call."

Naruto scrunched up her nose and crossed her arms- she wasn't going to argue with the man out loud… but that sounded… kind of shitty. Press on for Konoha, even if it meant death? Sure, she would happily throw her life on the line for someone important to her- but the way he was talking made it sound… urgh. Just, weird. It was setting her off in a way she couldn't describe. Like they were weapons. 

Like they were weapons.

(This was what Haku spoke about... wasn't it? Shinobi were just tools. Tools to complete their villages wills regardless of whether or not they lived.)

The mission came over your life. The mission came over you comrades. The mission was more important than anything else in the world.

The mission was life because she was just a tool to be used for the better meant of her village.

...

That was bullshit.

She was so sick of the Hidden Village mentality. Shinobi, living, breathing people, were used as fodder for wars that they didn't start nor cared about. They were just tools to follow the orders of their superiors- that was _bullshit!_

("Those who abandon the rules are trash, but those who abandon their friends are worse than trash.")

She supposed it wasn't all bad. As long as good people like Kakashi were trying their damndest to improve this system, them she couldn't lose hope.

She wanted to train with Kurama. She kind of felt the need to punch something with all her strength, and that was the best way to do it without breaking something. 

(Besides, they had almost perfected the Bijuu-dama.)

Ibiki kept saying stuff but she was wholly not paying attention anymore.

Hinata tugged at her jacket sleeve and gave her this adorable little smile, “Thank you, Naruto… chan.”

Chan?

_Chan?_

**_Chan?_ **

Naruto decided that she would be okay with dying, right then.

“For what?” she asked, ignoring a subtle heat to her cheeks.

“For…” Hinata shifted, looking away, a blush painting her own face, “For giving me the confidence to continue.”

Naruto grabbed Hinata’s hand, grinning, “That's what friends are for.”

Cue the glass breaking and Anko jumping into the room.

Naruto turned- and caught Sasuke’s eye as she did.

Why did he look… **angry**?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- An insert of me from 2017 -  
> Sasuke jumped into that fight real quick, huh?  
> Maybe he's….  
> Trying to impress someone…?  
> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> Also NaruHina is so pure wtf


	11. Chapter 11

The glass broke upon Anko's arrival.

And then the gates opened.

It seemed like the world was moving too fast, colours swirling around her due to nerves. or, was it? No, she decided. The colours swirled as Team Seven tore through the trees of the infamous training ground: The Forest of Death.

The second test had started. Uneventful, despite the clinging nerves in her stomach.

They were running through the forest, faster than ever. It was surprising… how strong Sakura and Sasuke were getting. It was like… they were completely different people, despite the fact that Naruto still saw them _every single day._ But, sure enough, when she thought back to the Bell Test… things had changed. Even from Wave, things had changed.

It was actually starting to feel like they were a _real team._ They had this silent kind of cooperation. In motion, she could always tell where the other two were-and could almost feel their movements before they even happened. She watched them out of the corner of her eye, mirroring their movements.

Team Seven dropped down into a clearing, and Sakura took an immediate inventory of their items.

“I have my medical supplies,” she whispered, “If either of you gets injured… make sure to come to me about it, right away.”

Naruto laughed, “Sure, but only Sasuke’s gonna need it… so you better be careful, bastard.”

He just smirked at her, “The only one who will need help here is you, dobe.”

She shook her fist at him, “Oh, what? You wanna fight me, tough guy?”

He turned to her, face dark yet smirking and voice wholly serious, “Yes.”

She paused, blinked, then paused and blinked and gaped, "Wait... what?" Noting how extremely, definitely _serious_ the Uchiha was, she made her pause, “Okay… then, uh, let's go! Me and you, right now!”

“Knock it off!” Sakura’s hand was suddenly crushing her skull, “We don't have time for this,” she scolded… both of them? Since when did Sakura have the balls to scold Sasuke? Heh. She was liking this girl even better every day. “We need to get the Heaven scroll, remember? I suggest we come up with a plan now so that we don’t have to scramble for one in battle.”

Naruto and Sasuke quickly grew serious, “Okay, what's the plan?” Naruto asked, because, y’know, she was dumb… and, like, Sakura had more-or-less become their go-to source for any strategy. Even Sasuke, who was smart in his own right, respected her ability to think ahead. What could she say? Sakura was good at matching up their strengths more than Sasuke, which was something Naruto didn't mind admitting cause, like, she loved making fun of Sasuke.

 **_“You have power,”_ ** Kurama purred, resting his head upon his hands and lazily swishing his tail, **_“What else do you need?”_ **

_“Food, warmth, a home, friendship, maybe air, too… I can think of a lot of things. When it comes to basic necessities I think that 'power' is kind of low on the list, Kurama."_

Kurama snorted, **_“What an unusual human.”_ **

Sakura pulled a normal scroll from her pack and grinned at her two teammates, “I was thinking… what if we fool them into thinking they have their scroll? They think they have our real scroll as a last resort if we need to flee."

“Switch!” Naruto grinned, hopping on the spot, “That's a great idea, Sakura! We'll make them think they took our scroll form us-"

"But we actually stole theirs when they weren't looking," Sasuke finished for her, a sly smirk slipping onto his face.

Naruto rubbed her hands together, eyes glinting and teeth sharp, “We just need to find our victims!”

“In the meantime… who do you think should hold the real scroll and who the fake?” Sakura asked.

Both Sakura and Naruto immediately looked to Sasuke, who was already in possession of it. He humped at them, crossing his arms, “I am the strongest fighter. Obviously, I should have it.”

“Okay, one, I’m the strongest,” Naruto jabbed her thumb in her chest, "And two… you’re the most obvious person that we would give it to! We need to _trick_ people!”

Sasuke looked away, looking resolute. Sakura muttered something.

“I… I think she has a point, Sasuke-kun. Any enemy will be able to assume that you have the scroll and target you…” Sasuke glared and her and Sakura beeped, fumbling around in her pack, “I… I packed more than one dummy-scroll… why don’t all three of us hold a scroll? Then people won't know which one is which…"

“Another great idea, Sakura-chan!” Naruto cheered, “But… who should hold the real one? I vote for me, by the way.”

Sakura looked between the two of them, obviously not wanting to choose one over the other. Her precious Sasuke-kun, or Naruto, who was as annoying as she was supportive. After a few seconds of useless silence, Sasuke sighed. Naruto looked over to him to see the scroll outstretched in his hand. He had a begrudging look on his face, even refusing to look her in the eye as he waved the scroll through the air, urging her to take it.

“Oh my gosh!” Naruto grabbed it giddily, tucking it away in the secret-pocket inside of her jacket, “So, you’re finally admitting that I’m the strongest?!”

Sasuke sniffed, “Get real, dobe. I’m only giving it to you since nobody would expect us to hand it to the idiot. _Don’t lose it_.”

The insult wasn’t appreciated, but hey, a win's a win.

"That's a good idea, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura had to jump in to compliment her crush, "Since the enemy would assume that you have our scroll they'll assume the fake one you have is real! That will at least minimize the chance of our real scroll being stolen, and give us opportunities to trick others into getting their scroll.”

The three nodded, and Sasuke seemed appeased slightly by Sakura's words. The scroll was an unfamiliar weight in her jacket and Naruto fiddled with it, watching as Sakura put an illusion on the two dummy-scrolls before she and Sasuke tucked them both away safely.

“We’ll have to start moving. The faster we grab a scroll the better,” Sasuke instructed, already jumping into the branches.

They nodded and took off behind him, flashing through the trees.

It was only once they got moving that Naruto’s senses finally flared out, nervous and jittery like her instincts already knew something she didn’t. There was a flicker of… something. Naruto’s pupils widened, that, was that _chakra?_ It was **vile.** Disgusting. She wanted to retch. What the hell was running around here that had more disgusting chakra than a fucking Bijuu? Whatever it was, her senses were going crazy. Her instincts screamed: danger. Death. Get yo are your team the hell _out of there._

“Everyone, stop!”

They did just that, the two of them whipping around to stare at her incredulously.

“There's… a person. I think. But, their chakra is fucking _weird,_ ” she hissed, choking, “Like, even weirder than _my_ chakra. Which is really saying something.”

Kurama laughed.

Sasuke’s eyes flickered in recognition, after the last test they were pretty aware of her sensor abilities. He nodded, “They could be dangerous. We’ll have to keep a lookout,” he continued, warning, despite there not even being an ounce of fear in his voice. Smug bastard. Sakura nodded in agreement, far more apprehensive than that stupid Sasuke was/

At least they trusted her judgement. That felt nice.

Naruto nodded, and turned to continue moving, wait! Where did… the chakra source go…? 

_Shit, they knew they were caught! That could only mean, they were attacking!_

Air blasted through the forest like the three of them were trapped within a wind tunnel, sudden, harsh, and blowing with enough force to literally rip a person off their feet.

Sakura screamed, Naruto nearly did so to, only for the air to slam into her open mouth and force itself down her throat and into her lungs. She tried to bite back the tears,the sudden panic that drives through her system at the suffocation. Then chakra was flooding her system… and Kyuubi must have taken control of that part of her body, because her mouth was roughly slamming shut, her teeth clacking painfully against each other.

She couldn't even see. The wind was so harsh and biting that her eyes could do little else but close. Her feet left the ground, and suddenly she was flying and _flying_ **_and,_ **

Her back slammed against something.

The wind stopped. 

Naruto finally managed to blink away the tears and regain her vision… but she was alone, slammed against the thick bark of a tree, several meters down from where she had been just seconds before… and both Sakura and Sasuke were gone.

Had they also been blown away? Knowing Sakura, and how thin the poor girl was, she could have been blown away anywhere… she had probably been blown further away than Naruto had.

She pulled herself to her feet, intent on looking for her team.

Then, she felt it in the air. The bitter tang of _killer intent_. 

She choked, her back hitting the tree behind her as she stumbled. This… this was far beyond what had happened in the classroom with the other Chunin-hopefuls. Even with the multitude of people in there, they were all Genin, inexperienced and probably lacking in the killing department… Naruto doubted many of them had even killed before.

Now…

This was someone with the blood of many splattered on their hands. 

A true, old fashioned murderer. And, for a moment, she was almost blinded with their utter intent to _kill._

It was like a section of the forest was just… death. A void of death, where all things living went to curl up and _rot._

**_“Kit.”_ **

The voice was deep, powerful, vibrating off the brick walls of her mind. It steadied her, somehow. A familiar presence that grounded her both in her mind and in the real world, she was overcome with the image of Kurama shifting in her mind as his tails wrapped around her body.

 **_“You’ve been through more than this,”_ **he reminded her, and suddenly the memories of their sparring matches came to her mind. The killer intent that flooded the sewers and flowed through her body more naturally than chakra itself.

She had trained for this.

But did that matter?

 _“That’s different-”_ she choked, _“I… I know that you won’t actually kill me. This… this is a true, genuine_ **_need_ ** _for blood.”_

**_“You need to pull yourself together. I’m here, kit. I’ll step in if anything happens.”_ **

While Naruto often disliked the idea of Kurama running around in her body… it was still comforting to know that even without her team she still had someone to watch her back. This person… they were well beyond Genin level, and well Naruto taught herself and her team were above that level as well, that didn't change the fact that she’d never faced someone so… bloodthirsty, before.

 **_“Don’t forget that where there is predator, there is_ ** **prey.** **_Likely it is your teammates that are on the receiving end of this KI.”_ **

_Fuck._

Sakura and Sasuke… 

They haven't had the same training as her. Likely, they had never faced killer intent beyond what had happened in the Land of Waves… they… they wouldn’t be able to face off against this. They’d be paralyzed!

Naruto was running. Her legs and feet felt numb like she was soaring through the air on adrenaline alone. She didn't know where to go… but she trusted her instincts to lead her in the direction of where the bloodlust was coming from. She felt the smallest flare of Sasuke’s chakra and latched onto that, rushing towards it with all the ferocity of the Kyuubi no Kitsune himself.

There, in a clearing not too far from where they originally stood! She snuck behind the bushes, watching warily as Sakura and Sasuke, both on the ground with puke and tears everywhere, sat helplessly in front of… the grass-nin from earlier. The one who had threatened the prospector. 

She nearly choked at the killer intent in the air… but after a powerful nudge of Kyuubi-chakra flooding her system, she was able to regain her bearings. It was the weird-ass chakra she had sensed…

They should have gotten out of there while they could. They should have fled to the Tower as soon as they entered the exam and waited for someone to come to them.

No. They should have left the exam as soon as Naruto felt this chakra in the first place.

This shinobi… they definitely knew what they were doing. And they definitely knew that it would work. So, the best way for her to disturb their plan… would be to disturb their expectations.

 **_“Naruto,” K_ **urama’s voice rumbled, and in her mindscape, she felt the soft reassurance of his tail’s brushing against her back.

She shivered as more of his chakra flooded her system. His nose nudged her back and he breathed in, warmth rushing through her as Naruto began to breathe again. She hadn't even realized she had stopped. Her lungs burned, her throat went dry.

**_“Are you just going to leave them there?”_ **

_“You don't even like them,”_ Naruto shuddered, _“Why do you care?”_ Sasuke was an Uchiha. Kurama would be happy if Sasuke died.

 **_“Because_ ** **you** **_care. Kit, you said we were partners and I agreed. So few humans come along that we actually care about, so when a Bijuu makes a promise we tend not to break it. If these pitiful humans are important to you then, by extension, they are important to me.”_ **

Right. Kurama warmth soothed her fear and his chakra brought her a strength she hadn’t ever felt before, even compared to all the other times she had used it. Naruto took a steady breath and her heart rate calmed and slowed.

She had the power of a Bijuu on her side. More important: she had a _friend_ by her side. 

She wasn’t alone: Kurama was her partner. He would support her and protect her, and she would do the same to him. But, in that partnership, she couldn’t forget the importance of her human teammates. She had to look out for them. 

They were her precious people.

Naruto stepped out of the bushes, senses regained and fear smushed down to the deepest parts of her heart.

“Hey,” she laughed, forcing it to be bubbly and gleeful and not nearly as terrified as she felt, “Is that supposed to _scare me_?”

The grass-nin flinched, neck nearly snapping in the effort to look up at her. Naruto stood strong, shoulders pulled back and spine straight. She held her grin.

“ _You-_ my snake was supposed to kill you!”

Her grin faltered, only just a little bit.

 _Snake?_ Uh, she hadn’t encountered any snakes aside from this dude, apparently. She was happy to ignore that, for now, if it meant one less battle. 

“And here I thought _you_ were supposed to be scary,” she mocked back, nearly laughing again. Kurama surely was chuckling, though maybe it was at her? “Was that… supposed to be killer intent or something? I could emit more in my sleep!” She yawned.

_“Kurama, a little help here? Let's blast this douche.”_

The fox obliged, and suddenly there was a literal _wave_ of killer intent cutting through the forest, and _holy shit,_ that was so identifiably Kyuubi! Maybe… maybe somebody (Jiji) would notice… and maybe they’d come to help? Because, because this guy was _clearly_ not a Genin. 

_Something was_ **_horribly_ ** _wrong._

The grass-nin seemed almost confused (nervous?) for a moment, before relaxing into an almost kind-hearted smile that made Naruto want to puke. It was sickly-sweet and fake that her teeth were rotting and her stomach churned. Through… her eyes flickered over to where Sasuke had puked and, uh, she’d pass, thanks.

“Ah. The little Kyuubi-Jinchuuriki! How could I forget that they assigned you with the Uchiha?” 

Naruto’s eyes flickered to Sasuke cause she _totally knew it._ Of course, they were paired together, the Sharingan could control the Kyuubi and to Konoha Naruto was a weapon first and a person second.

The grass-nin stepped forward, his eyes glittering in a creepy way as he inspected her from top to bottom, “You know, girl, I wasn’t interested in you before… but perhaps if you can _control_ the beast, I will be. Finding **_functioning_ **Jinchuuriki like you are always so rare. And so young, too…” he rubbed his hands together, “Easier to train.”

Naruto hissed at the notion. Functioning. Control. Train. What, did they think she was some kind of weapon or something? Something to be used to someone else's advantage… just because of Kurama? She was disgusted. Whoever the hell this person was - no matter how strong, intimidating, or willful they were... she wouldn't let _anyone_ turn Kurama back into a weapon. And she wouldn't;t let's anyone turn her into a weapon to begin with.

Uzumaki Naruto was not one for subjugation. She'd rather die than become a weapon.

He… he was as much of a sentient being as she was. He didn’t deserve how he was treated. And if she had to, she’d show this guy that.

“Sorry, I can’t _control_ him. Or, at least not like you’d _want_ me to.”

The grass-nin smile, “Such a shame. You could be such an interesting _toy,_ little girl. But…” her eyes shifted, moving over to a cowering, confused-looking Sasuke. He barely had a grip on the kunai in his hand. 

“Not nearly as interesting as the _Last_ _Uchiha._ ”

**_“Of course, always the Uchiha.”_ **

“Naruto?!”

She hissed under her breath, not liking the implications of that question. Quickly, she skidded over to the side, valiantly guarding Sasuke’s crumpled, half-standing mess with her own body.

“We need to get Sakura out of here,” she quickly said, looking at the nearly unconscious girl, “And, like, screw this stupid exam! There's something clearly off about this guy… we just need to get to the tower as fast as we can!”

Sasuke nodded, barely managing to stand as he took off, grabbing their comatose partner and half-lugging her over his shoulder as he did so. Naruto stayed, turning to glare at the enemy so that she could, hopefully, buy her teammates some time to getaway. Not that she planned on dying… just, she had the largest chance of surviving this encounter.

The grass-nin, clearly fed up with waiting, converged on Sasuke. Naruto stepped forward, opening her palm and melding together yin and yang chakra to form a miniature Bijuu-Ball, detonating right in her palm as that the flash gave her enough time to _run-_

She was already in the trees before she realized it. Sasuke was ahead, but not too far. She'd be able to catch up…

The sharp whistle of a knife cutting through the air met her ears, Naruto barely dodged in time to save her head.

“Stop right there, little girl,” a smooth voice called doubt. How was he already so close?!

She skidded on a tree branch, watched as Sasuke, too, came skidding to a stop. Sakura was moving now, sluggishly, but still managed to pull a kunai out to defend herself. At least she was standing on her own. They couldn't spare the time to protect an unconscious teammate.

“To think you even survived the sealing in the first place,” the grass-nin chuckled, “And was that a Bijuu-dama just now? My my, little Jinchuuriki, you’ve been hiding quite the array of skills.”

Naruto bit back a curse, how did this guy actually know what that was? Bijuu techniques were scarcely seen, and even less so spoken about. 

“You, how do you know what that is?!”

The grass-nin outstretched his arms, grinning widely, “I am a connoisseur of strong techniques, little Jinchuuriki. Those belonging to your kind have always… _interested_ me. Perhaps, I could find a use for you yet. If only in taking that chakra of yours; Sound could use a Jinchuuriki.”

“No way in hell!” She hissed.

The man didn't seem ready to back down. She’d… have to actually fight him. Using everything she had. She knew this man was strong… but so was Naruto! She would be able to hold him off, she thought. So that her teammates could get out of here.

Sasuke was strong, but good vision and flashy taijutsu alone couldn't defeat this freak.

“Sasuke-!” She yelled, looking over her shoulder, “Don’t worry about me! Just-, just take Sakura to the tower! I’ll… I’ll catch up with you guys!”

“Naruto, you idiot! There's no way we’re leaving you behind!” Sasuke looked down right pissed at the notion.

“Typical Uchiha,” she shot back, “Always trying to steal all the glory… can't you just sit back and let me do something on my own, for once?”

Sasuke looked ready to retaliate, but a surge of chakra hit the forest and suddenly the grass-nin was standing atop a giant snake summon. Naruto hissed, calling up more Kyuubi chakra to her own coils. It coated her skin, acidic and poisonous and ready to infect whatever target she set it out upon. Her eyes grew bloody and slitted like a demon.

“I won’t let you hurt my team!” She ran, jumping off the tree branch and raising her fists.

Her hand smashed down on the nose of the snake, and just as it did she shot out as much Kyuubi-chakra as she possibly could. A beast this size… could she take it down with poison alone? How much would she need?

The snake’s tongue whipped out, slapping against her and throwing her back into a tree. She flipped at the last moment, her feet crunching against the bark as chakra unconsciously stuck her to the surface. Her head flickered upwards and her hands immediately stuck to the bark to keep her stationary. God, that was close.

“Oh? It’s going to take a little more than that to defeat me, Jinchuuriki.”

She hissed, what was this guy's obsession with that title? He was repeating it more than even B!

“Really?” She shot back, buying time, eyes trailing along with the snake as the little wisps of Kyuubi-chakra sang out to her as it moved through the air. She couldn't see it, but she could _feel_ it. It wormed its way into the snake’s body, and the beast crumbled.

“What?!” The grass-nin hissed, nearly toppling over as the snake fell to the ground. It wasn't dead, yet, but Naruto didn’t think it would be returning to battle anytime soon. “What did you do?”

She grinned, “Maybe you don’t know as much about me as you think you do. Kyuubi chakra is highly toxic,” she said, dancing to the side as a… **_tongue_ **snaked out and attempted to grab her. Her hand flashed and threw a kunai out, only for the appendage to dance out of the way just in time.

She had to leap back onto the next branch to avoid the second strike, and damn, the thing was getting faster and faster!

She had to start using techniques! 

Rotten, thick Kyuubi-chakra swelled at her palm, not a Bijuu-dama but rather simply condensed chakra. Naruto quickly shot it off her hand with a spring of chakra, launching the ball towards the grass-nin. He expertly dodged the attack and turned his head to watch as the chakra splattered against one of the many trees of the forest only for a spew of smoke drizzled off it and the glob of orange and red began _sinking_ into the bark.

The grass-nin didn’t have a chance to comment before Naruto was shooting off a second and then a third. All three of them were dodged, of course. She bit back a growl. If only one of them hit… then the poison would be able to spread. No matter how freaky someone was, they'd go down from her poison. As far as she knew (aka, Kurama told her) there was no antidote for a poison made of pure, raw energy. Acidic hatred taken physical form.

“My my, you really are full of surprises, Jinchuuriki,” the grass-nin licked his lips, eyeing her up and down, “But I’m afraid I came here for a… different reason. I need to dispose of you.”

Her eyes widened as he suddenly shot forward and, fuck! There wasn’t enough time for her to counter! A Bijuu-dama would take too long, and… she needed to guard!

Just as the man was about to attack her his fingers glowed purple as he reached towards her stomach. Naruto screeched and tried to twist out of the way, but there was no time, no space and, a kunai whizzed through the air, sinking into the wood between Naruto and the grass-nin’s head.

She skipped back, head whipping to the side to see a pissed-looking Sasuke with two glowing red Sharingan’s… they looked, maybe, a little different from before. Another dot? She didn't know how the Sharingan worked. He was gritting his teeth, one hand holding steady on his leg that was… bleeding? Since when? The wound looked deep! Sasuke couldn’t heal like she could!

“Naruto!” He hissed, sounding far angrier at her than at the enemy… which was, like, totally unfair, “Did you really think I’d abandon you?!”

She smirked a little, jumping through the trees toward him. She landed quietly, staring him down, “A little bit,” she admitted, a twinge of a laugh on her lips, “But I also kind of expected you to come back so you could steal the show.”

Sasuke smirked at her, but braced himself as the grass-nin launched over to them… by extending his body and twirling around a tree branch? Okay, what the fuck even _was_ this guy? 

They both leapt as the enemy swooped down suddenly with a sword, the blade stabbing into the bark where her feet had once been.

“Sakura?” Naruto quickly asked, flexing her palm and considering another Bijuu-dama, a larger one, this time. She doubted they’d even be able to _run_ unless they dealt considerable damage… 

Should she try flagging Jiji with Kyuubi chakra? Surely if they thought she's lost control they’d come to investigate… especially with another Jinchuuriki in the forest… 

“I sent her to get help from the tower,” Sasuke paused, looking at her. She saw it in his eyes, how that meant they’d fail the test. Was it even important anymore? This was clearly something more than just the Chunin Exams and some over-active Genin. 

This guy, he was Jounin or higher. She could just feel it. They… they didn’t have much hope for winning. They had to escape.

“We just need to focus on getting out of this alive. Maybe if we can injure him, it’ll give us the opportunity to run… that, or stall until someone comes,” she didn’t say how it wasn't even confirmed that somebody _would_ come. The prospector surely made it sound that way.

Sasuke nodded, already moving through several hand seals as his cheeks puffed and a stream of fire blazed through the air and ate away at the forest leaves; a distraction. The grass-nin was forced to swerve to the side, but Naruto was already there, waiting, a half-formed Bijuu-dama anxiously mulling in her palm. She made it larger, flashier, throwing it out just as he came close, and-

_Half his face melted away._

The grass-nin had to jump back another branch, and he smirked at both of them as his face literally _peeled away,_ showcasing a flashing golden eye and stark white skin underneath. Undamaged. It was like it had done _nothing_.

“What _is_ he?!” She barked, stepping back. 

“Ah, I haven't even introduced myself, have I?” The suddenly _very masculine_ voice sneered, “I am known as Orochimaru, the Snake Sannin.”

Sasuke froze. Naruto’s head swivelled to look at him, eyes wide and shaking. Terror.

“You know him?”

“He's an S-class missing-nin,” the Uchiha confirmed, voice wavering.

Well, fuck.

She’d have to pull out more than just a tails worth of chakra. In fact… she might have to go full-out, or, at least more than she had ever done before. Maybe even…

She hissed at the thought. 

**_“Anything you need, kit.”_ **

Not helpful. _“I thought we were trying to keep this a_ ** _secret,_** _”_

 **_“Your life is more important than that,”_ ** he said as if she should have already known. Which, she kind of did, but Naruto was trying to do this new thing that was called _planning ahead._

 _“Summoning you might get me through_ this _battle, but I’m worried about what may happen_ after. _A lot of people won’t like having a fully-in-control Jinchuuriki running around. And this guy seems pedo enough for me as it is already.”_

The Kyuubi snorted but didn't comment. He did, however, push two tail’s worth of chakra into her own system, flooding her with adrenaline. She supposed it was his way of compromising with her.

She took it, launching herself forward and throwing a quick kick to Orochi-whatever. He easily blocked it, his hand grasping into the fabric of her pants and easily throwing her off balance. Stupid pants, if she had been wearing shorts he’d be down right now! Goddammit, thinking ahead! Who cares about bug-bites if there are enemies around,if he touched her skin then Kurama’s chakra would be able to seep into his system and poison him!

She tried to punch him, hoping either it would hit or he’d catch it, thus giving her the skin-on-skin contact she'd need. He did neither, expertly twitching out of the way in time before raising his hand swiftly and slamming it down on her back.

Blood splattered from her mouth, her stomach slammed into that of the tree branch below them and she winced as she heard ribs creak and crack. Kurama’s chakra was already there, numbing the pain and mending the damage, but she knew it would take several minutes at the very least for them to fully heal.

“Naruto!”

The sudden heat of the fireball was all she needed to feel before rolling away, though the attack was aimed just perfectly enough that it wouldn’t have hit her regardless. Orochi-freak sidestepped the fire but wasn’t prepared for the volley of shuriken controlled by ninja wire that blasted out afterwards, and through a stroke of luck more than anything Sasuke managed to land a small cut on an arm that instinctively lifted itself to block. Great, and they weren’t even poisoned!

Sasuke jumped towards them, soaring through the trees on silver threads of wire as he came close to the man attacking them before instead of moving for Sasuke the man lunged at Naruto, a shining kunai knife held in his right hand.

She didn’t have time to get to her feet, while the protective warmth of Kurama’s chakra fizzled at her nerve endings and erased the majority of her pain, her chest was too broken and battered for her body to move properly.

She settled for a quick roll, only for the momentum to take her further than she intended and for her body to fall from the branch altogether.

“Naruto!” This time, it was Sakura’s voice.

Naruto hissed as her head made contact with a tree branch and her body rocked and swirled with the motion, and Sakura below gasped, the slapping of feet against packed dirt echoed through the forest and suddenly too-skinny arms were grabbing at her chest as the two slammed together at the bottom of the forest. Sakura had caught her before she managed to hit the ground.

“Sakura…?” Naruto asked. The pinkette looked a little worse for wear, but ultimately not overly harmed.

“I… I couldn't abandon you and Sasuke!” She proclaimed, tears forming at the corners of her eyes, “I know I’m not good for much, but we’re a squad! I won’t allow you two to fight without me!” 

Naruto smiled slightly at the determination in her eyes.

“Fine,” she said, breathing out a hiss of pain at the sudden pounding of her head. She ignored it. “But Sasuke’s going to need your help more than me, right now.”

“But, Naruto, your head! It's bleeding!” Sakura’s fingers deftly picked at blonde strands hiding massive gash on the side of Naruto’s gash, “You probably have a concussion! I can't leave you unattended.”

Her fingers actually went up to touch it, and she nearly puked as a sharp tang of iron hit her nose. Blood. Her own. There was _so much,_ she had heard head wounds tended to bleed a lot.

Kurama raged against his cage. The beast was absolutely livid. Her ribs twinged in pain as his immediate focus turned to her head. 

“It’ll heal up soon,” Naruto grinned, and Sakura looked doubtful, “Either way, it's fine. I’m not gonna die or nothing, but Sasuke might if we don’t help him!”

That killed any protest the pinkette had. “Okay,” she finally agreed, cautious, “What do we need to do?”

Naruto looked up, watching as Sasuke sent out a flurry of Taijutsu attacks at Orochi-freak. He wouldn't last long, not if this guy was truly at the level he said he was. 

“Genjutsu… you’ll have to use the strongest one you know. And get your healing-stuff ready… Sasuke’s already been wounded pretty bad.”

Sakura gave a quick nod.

“Okay, I need you to perform the distraction. Something to get Orochi-freaks attention off of me and Sasuke for at least thirty seconds… I can load up an attack while Sasuke uses his Sharingan to read his moves. If we can manage to land the hit on him it should provide an opportunity for us to escape. Then we book it to the tower as fast as we can.”

Sakura nodded and was already off, forming the hand seals even as she launched herself from branch to branch.

Naruto gritted her teeth and threw herself forward, slamming down on the branch just as Sasuke was losing the upper hand. And Orochi-freak wasn't even sweating. There wasn't a single wound on his body, the one measly cut they managed to get on him had already stitched together, just as fast as Naruto’s own healing ability.

What the hell had they gotten themselves into...?

No time.

A mini-Bijuu-dama formed in her hand, half-exploding even as she threw it at their opponent. Sasuke’s eyes, thanks to the Sharingan, saw it coming long before it reached him, and he easily stepped back in time to dodge the blow as it exploded and cracked the branch below. It titled dangerously, and Naruto applied a generous helping of chakra to her feet to hold her in place.

Orochi-freak wasn't hurt but stung. At least it was doing _something._

They’d have to do more.

She noticed Sakura in the trees, giving her a confident look even as she was sweating from chakra-exhaustion. Naruto nodded at her, and slammed her foot down on the branch, the resounding _snap_ echoing through the forest-, she summoned clones and they rushed forward, only to dispel before reaching Orochimaru. Smokescreen.

She skittered forward, feeling out Sasuke’s chakra in order to grab him even without seeing, and the two of them rolled as they hit the forest floor into a strange clump of limbs.

“Naruto, what are you _doing_?!” He hissed, pushing himself for his feet and pulling out a kunai.

“No way can we beat that freak,” she coughed, her head suddenly aching, “The best we can do is get out of here… alive.”

Sasuke didn’t seem to like the idea, but he still nodded, “Sakura?”

“Distraction. She’s good, for now.”

“We’ll have to move backwards and get her. I don't trust her alone with him.”

As much as she hated that idea of getting anywhere close to that man again, it was true. Sakura wouldn't be able to fight him off alone… they couldn't just leave her to die.

(They were friends. And Naruto protected her friends.)

Okay, they had a few seconds to think this through. Naruto would take on Orochi-freak while Sasuke sprinted for Sakura. They got this… they just have to make a formation. “Okay-” and their time was up. The ground trembled when Orochi-freak slammed down, hair whipping everywhere and a crazed look on his face.

“You’re not planning to leave, are you?” He snickered, moving a hand into his cloak, “You can't. Even if you get to the tower, you won't pass. And we can't have that, can we? You two need to continue playing this little game with me awhile longer,” he purred.

They both froze.

He had pulled out a Heaven's scroll.

Sasuke started moving, Naruto could sense Sakura’s chakra hidden in the shoulder of the clearing, but Naruto wasn't moving.

“Naruto-” he hissed.

“We need that.”

“You’re the one who _just_ told me we need to run.”

She bit her lip. “It's not worth our lives… but… I won’t die. I won’t let someone like _this guy_ kill me.”

“You have that promise to keep, right?” Sasuke asked, and Naruto swallowed at the mental image of Kurama trapped behind bars. Her _promise_.

Her eyes didn't leave Orochi-freak. He was patiently waiting for their discussion to end. How polite. 

“Yeah, bastard. I do.”

“Then let's go.”

She sniffed, daring to look at him over her shoulder. He was halfway between her and Sakura. Trapped between them, unable to choose one way or the other. She wished he’d just keep moving.

“You can go. Take Sakura. I’ll meet up with you.” With the scroll, hopefully. Or else she’d be licking her wounds, but alive.

Uzumaki Naruto refused to die.

“No.” Too rigid words, too cold eyes. He cared enough to keep her alive, but not about her choices. “You think I would abandon you? I said it once already: I won’t. Stop being an idiot, Naruto.”

Adrenaline flooded her. **Kyuubi chakra**.

She felt it take physical form. She’d never done it before, but almost instantly she knew what was happening, what exactly was forming behind her. A tail. She had just manifested a furry, orange, Kyuubi tail. It flapped behind her, filled to the brim with _power._

“Then stand back and watch.”

She shot forward, faster than ever. Orochi-freak wasn't prepared for it, eyes still widening from the tail suddenly erupting from her.

Her nails had grown into talons, she swiped down, managing to claw off whatever was left of the skin-like-mask he had been wearing earlier. She grinned, flipping in the air and hitting his block with a devastating axe kick.

She felt the bone snap under her foot.

He swiped at her, forcing her to drop to the ground to avoid the hit. She brought herself up again almost instantly, her hands moving faster than her eyes could even track as they snatched the scroll from his hand-

He immediately went to grab it back, but it was already soaring towards Sasuke. He caught it easily.

“Run! I’m right behind you!”

This time, he listened.

“You better be!” He shouted over his shoulder, grabbing Sakura’s hand and forcing her to run behind him with a shout.

Blue and red disappeared in the green sea of leaves.

“Don’t think I’m about to let you leave, Little Jinchuuriki. Not after what you’ve just shown me.”

He tried that purple-finger-thingy again. She dodged it all on her own this time, the power scorching through her veins… how many tails worth was she at? She felt sick. She'd only gone so far before, never this _far_. Never. She’d never manifested a tail before.

“You ain’t gotta _let_ me do nothing,” she growled, “I’ll do whatever I want.” She stuck out her hand, prepared to blast this guy with her new-found power by pouring everything she had into one single attack-

But the Bijuu-dama formed _too fast._

It exploded right in their faces and Naruto couldn't think of a better time to run.

Everything was fuzzy from that point on. She tore through the forest on pure instinct alone, and at some point, her mind receded and she allowed Kurama to simply take control.

The next time she opened her eyes she was inside the tower with Sakura fussing over her wounds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to clarify that Sasuke only grew a new comma, and didn't unlock the Mangekyo


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so I forgot about what happens in this chapter... then I edited it
> 
> Uh
> 
> I guess this is happening

Apparently, they were the third group to successfully make it to the tower. 

Naruto didn't remember when or how they entered, but by the time she actually gained awareness of what she was doing Sakura and Sasuke both looked… worried, to say the least. Sakura had hurridly patched her up and then dragged Naruto to their room... which Naruto had almost immediately eft so that she could get a few minutes to herself. She sucked on her bottom lip, walking through the dining hall alone. 

It was quiet.

Gaara’s two teammates were eating at one of the tables, silently, warily, watching her as she passed. She gave them a little smile and a wave- no point in making things awkward if they were going to be living together in the tower for the next four days, after all. And if, later on, she actually managed to become friends with Gaara.

She didn’t know what other group had made it before them, but… she hoped Hinata’s would come soon. She needed someone to talk with.

She left the cafeteria and saw Gaara standing there, presumably on his way to meet his siblings.

“Uzumaki,” he greeted, tone neutral, civil. There was something in his eyes, though...

“Are you okay?” Her voice sounded weird and foreign, like sandpaper grating against stone. She swallowed and found her throat filled with needles.

He turned around in a gesture for her to follow and she did just that. They entered a gymnasium-looking thing. Nobody else was there; Naruto couldn’t feel any chakra signatures in the immediate area, but after that everything grew fuzzy. 

“I felt it…” he said, quite, “That chakra. In the forest.”

She grinned, “UH? Ya did? Sorry bout that. Some real creep was tryna feel up my team and I had to-”

“I wish to learn.”

She blinked. 

Gaara turned to her, face fully serious, tone breaking every so slightly, “That control… that power… how?”

She smiled at him and reached over- he flinched, but didn’t move as her hand came down… and patted his head. He looked a cocktail of surprised and murderous.

“It’s pretty simple,” she shrugged, “There's no seal or technique or power or magic eyes that you’ll need in order to work with Bijuu Chara, and you don’t even really need to be strong, either. You just… need love and respect. For yourself and for the Bijuu."

 _Love,_ he mouthed, and her eyes steadily crept up to the kanji printed on his forehead.

“That's right~” she did a little dance, “I ain't talking bout control… I’m talking about: cooperation!” She made jazz-hands as if that would prove her point.

He stared at her life she had grown two heads- then promptly turned around and started walking away.

“Hey!” she ran over, sliding to a stop right in front of him, her arms spread eagle, “you think I’m crazy, don't you?! Well, guess what Gaara, I can use Bijuu chakra whenever I want and you can’t!” She stuck out her tongue, “So you can either get with my methods or get out of the kitchen!”

“What?”

“It’s a phrase! I heard it somewhere," she said, squinting at faint memories, "I don't think I said ti right, though."

He shook his head. “Cooperation is not the power I am looking for… I am a being of destruction. Of hate. I have long since learned that the only reason I was created was to kill.”

Wow okay, _edgy_. Did Naruto talk like that? No, no way. That sounded more like something Sasuke would say.

She put her hands on her hips and swivelled in place, “nu-uh-uh. You weren’t created, yours was born. Like any other human. And I don't really think that people are created for any other reason than to just have more people, y’know? Jinchuuriki may have been made to be weapons, but guess what? I people whose ‘made’ us _aren't_ us. And they don't get to decide who we are for us.”

Gara blinked slowly, and little dots of sand began agitated flying around his head. She wasn't all too scared. Gaara may have been a better shinobi than, her, sure…

Buts he was a better Jinchuuriki. And, right now, that was what mattered.

“If ya wants to go killing then I guess I can't stop ya,” she turned on her heel, throwing up her arm in a casual wave, “but I will tell ya; that doesn't sound like a very good life. Your life purpose isn't something you find, but something you make.”

She was nearly halfway out of the room when he called out, “stop.”

How could someone sound so pleading but so apathetic at the same time? 

“I was the son of the Kazukage, the best weapon ever created by Suna… when I was younger, I was treated like royalty, spoiled… I thought that was love. I know now that it’s not.”

She turned around. His eyes were hollow, pained, reflective of the childhood he had to endure, and the pain he never stopped feeling.

She saw herself, in those sad eyes.

“I grew older. Assassination attempts became more common; by the age of six they knew I was more monstrous than they could control.”

She took a deep breath, “what use is a weapon if you can't wield it?’

He nodded.

“There was still one man who always loved me… that man… he… I killed him. But, it wasn't me… but the sand. I can't control it. So when that man tried to kill me- it got to him first. I… realized then, that if I was unable to protect anyone other than myself, then they must not be worth protecting.”

She walked over to him.

And wrapped him in a bear hug.

“There's always something worth protecting,” she whispered, leaning in on him, “and ya sand knows that. So that's why it protects you. You’re right- what your dad did _wasn’t_ love, but that's okay. Cause you’re not your dad.”

Gaara seemed wholly uncomfortable. She pulled back, but her hands didn’t leave his arms. 

“Ya get to decide for yourself exactly what love is, Gaara. And that's exactly when you’ll start learning how to protect people.”

In the back of her mind, Naruto realized… that she wasn't protecting the people that he had begun to love. All she did was tell them lies, and she once thought that was protecting them…

But…

She told Gaara that he would come to find her at any time and that she’d start helping him with Shukaku. 

Then. she ran out. She needs to talk with her teammates.

* * *

The door clicked shut. Naruto leaned against it heavily, letting out a little sigh as her two teammates looked up at her. Sakura looked… nervous. Sasuke held this weird, unreadable expression, his eyes not moving away from her for even a second.

She huffed and closed her eyes- feeling out with her chakra and to be _absolutely sure_ that nobody was out in the hall, listening.

“I… have a confession to make.”

She didn't _want_ to make it… but after what happened with Orochi-freak, she kind of had to.

Sakura shifted away from her- but strangely enough, Sasuke looked like his interests were peaked. He was looking at her with that expression that he had given Gaara, Lee, Neji. Like he wanted to _fight her._

His words from the forest came rushing back.

It made her a little tingly- the idea of being interesting as a rival. Everybody just looked at her like some useless Kunoichi.

“It’s, uh, king of the biggest secret of my life…” she fidgeted as he looked impossibly _more interested,_ “so… uh, you guys have to _promise_ not to say anything about it outside of this room. Like, seriously. There are _laws_ involved.” 

“Is… this something that we want to hear?” Sakura fidgeted, looking almost more anxious than Naruto. Which, actually, was probably impossible.

“Is this about what happened in the Forest of Death?” Sasuke asked- which was a far more reasonable, easy question for her to answer. “And in Wabe, too. Those weird powers you have…”

But still, she had to answer both, “uh- no to Sakura, I think, and yes to Sasuke. Actually, maybe yes to Sakura. I don’t know. I’ve never told anybody before… but, uh, all the people who know don’t really like it.”

“So other people _do_ know.” Sasuke looked almost offended at the notion that somebody _else_ knew her secret.

“Yes! Can you just let me tell it?!”

They both went silent for a moment.

“Okay, Naruto. I promise not to tell anyone.” Sakura finally said, breaking the tension.

Sasuke nodded.

Naruto gave them both a shaky smile. “Uh- do you… know what a _Jinchuuriki_ is?”

They both looked at her blankly.

“I’ll take that as a no,” she sighed, “that, uh, makes things complicated… but I guess it’s not a widely used term in Konoha, so… uh… I’ll explain! Okay- uh, I know _for sure_ that you guys know what a Bijuu is, because that's the only lesson I remember from the academy and even though it’s _widely_ inaccurate, it still helps.”

She shuffled, bringing out two of the items she specifically brought for ‘the talk’.

She rolled out the short, simple sealing scroll, and Sakura frowned at the sight of it. Naruto just looked at her, and the pinkette closed her mouth, knowing to listen. This was super important, and the tension on her face said it.

“Okay, so, uh, this is a sealing scroll. We all know that. We put stuff in it,” she demonstrated by dropping a kunai in and then taking out. “Now, try to imagine that the scroll is a _person_ and the kunai is a _Bijuu._ You can put the Bijju inside _it_.” she once more demonstrated by dropping the knife. She didn’t take it back out.

“W-wait… _what_?”

Naruto stood, channelling chakra and pulling up her red sweatshirt. She could feel their eyes _burning_ her skin as her seal slowly but surely appeared, “that's what happened to me.” 

Sakura gaped. Sasuke’s eyes narrowed- which was actually quite a big reaction, for him.

“N-Naruto… what are you trying to say?” she hated the way that Sakura was shaking. She hated the way she was _looking at her._

Naruto bit her lip so hard that it bled… before instantly healing. Why did this have to be so hard? Why couldn’t people just _know_ ? Just be _okay with it_?

“I- well, er,” she choked a little bit, “the academy… kind of lied to us. The Fourth, he didn’t _kill_ the Kyuubi that day that it attacked. He couldn't. So… he sealed it into a newborn baby. Me. My, uh, my birthday is the same day as the Kyuubi Attack, if you’ve ever noticed.”

Sakura gasped, covering her mouth, “that's why you always skipped that day…”

“Yeah,” She nodded, “I, uh, I was _celebrating_!”

Sakura blinked, “w _hat_?”

Naruto giggled nervously, scratching the back of her head. It messed up the ponytail she had put her hair into- but who cared? “Me and Kyuubi are… uh… we’re _friends_!”

Sakura’s eyebrow did that twitchy thing it did whenever she was mad, “you’re… friends?! With the demon that destroyed the city?!”

Naruto balled her hands into fists, “he's… he's not that bad! He didn’t want to do that- some guy made him!”

“ _Made_ _him_?!” Sakura looked ready to punch her- which Naruto actually considered a good thing because that meant she wasn't _scared of her._

“Yeah! The Sharingan!” her eyes flashed to Sasuke (he had this hilarious look of shock on his face… was he not speaking because he couldn't actually _process words?_ If she wasn't so scared of him hating her she’d be laughing), “it can control him! And- don't get any ideas, Sasuke! Kurama’s my friends and… I, uh, don’t want you to be mean to him!”

“I… don’t think that's the issue,” the Uchiha finally said, looking dazed, “Naruto… who else knows about this?”

She licked her lips nervously, “uh… I don't know. A lot of people actually, but Jiji made a law that nobody was allowed to openly talk about it, or tell anyone who didn’t know. I’m not sure if that applies to you guys, but, uh, I think most of the adults in Konoha know. Orochi-freak knew, too. Which was why I used my powers on him.”

“Your powers? Is that what happened in the forest? Wave?” he seemed a little more interested than he should be. 

**_“Wants to use me for himself. That's all Uchiha are good for.”_ **

_“The first thing you say during this… and it’s that?”_

She decided to block Kurama out for the rest of the conversation. 

She nodded, “I… I don’t like using it on people very much,’ she scratched the back of her head, flinching when Sasuke gave her a confused glare, “uh, well, there are a lot of people who want to use Kurama as a weapon, and since he's my friends… I can't let that happen to him. If they know I can control his chakra n stuff, then they’ll try to force me to use it… which I don’t like doing. Orochi-freak is one of those types of guys.”

Sasuke nodded in understanding, though he didn’t seem to like what she was saying because he got this real dangerous look in his eye. He rested his chin in his folded hands in that way that he only did when he was absolutely _murderous._

Sakura, on the other hand, looked almost ready to… cry?

“Naruto…” she sniffed, “is that… is that why you’re treated badly?”

Naruto blinked. “Uh… what?”

The pinkette was balling her hands into her red dress, scrunching up the fabric, “I… I noticed that adults always treated you badly, but I thought it was because of your pranks, or because you’re… an idiot. But is it because of… this?”

(Naruto flinched when she refused to use Kurama’s name.)

Sasuke was giving her a hard stare; their conversation in wave came to mind, and suddenly Naruto couldn’t look him in the eye. She felt… embarrassed?

She puffed out her cheeks, knowing the heat in her cheeks was more than just the heating, “I… I guess? I know that a lot of people in Konoha think that I’m _actually_ Kyuubi, which is super untrue. And even if I was, he's not a bad guy. He's just… misunderstood.”

Sakura didn't seem to hear her. “Even… even my own parents! They- they used to tell me not to talk to you, Naruto! When I told my mom you were on my squad… she was so angry! And I didn’t know why!”

Sasuke _tsked._ “Same,” he said, “I think most of our classmates were told something similar.”

Naruto shrugged, “a lot of people… died in the Kyuubi Attack. I can't blame them for hating him. I just, I wished they could give him a chance.” _Give her a chance-_ but of course, Naruto wouldn't say something so sappy like that! She was Uzumaki Naruto, the coolest Jinchuuriki ever!

“You know, I’m not the only one. There are eight others. I managed to make friends with people… but I don't think the others are lucky like that. You know that Gaara guy? He's one, too. A Jinchuuriki.”

Sakura looked terrified all over again. “But that guy-!”

“It's not really his fault. His seal is unstable… and Shukaku isn’t healthy. And the way that Suna treats him-” she shivered, “he told me this story, and… and it kind of makes me glad that Jiji made those laws for me.”

Silence enveloped the room again. Everyone was uncomfortable. Naruto played with the end of her ponytail, entertaining the idea of pulling it out altogether. 

Finally, she had to ask.

“... You guys aren't scared of me, right?”

Both heads turned up so quickly that Naruto swore she heard _snaps!_

“Naruto-! Of course not!” Sakura stood, hands grabbing the blonde’s upper arm, “I- no! You… you saved our lives there, Naruto! And not only then. You said you used those powers on the bridge to help Sasuke-kun, right? Then… it can’t be bad!” her smile was shaky like she was trying to convince herself of it. Still, Naruto’s chest grew all warm and fuzzy.

_Humpf._

Sasuke’s chin was still resting on his hands, but he now had a little smirk on his face, “forcing people to be your friend is the only thing you’re good at, dobe…” his eyes flickered to the side, refusing to meet her own, “if you say you have it covered… then, I’ll trust you.”

She was smiling now.

And… when had her cheeks gotten wet?

**_“Humans are so fragile.”_ **

Naruto ignored him, moving and hugging Sakura so hard that the two of them bowled straight into the bed Sasuke was sitting on. Laughing like an idiot, she grabbed a hold of him and didn't let go no matter how much he struggled.

“I love you guys!” she squeaked.

_“And that includes you, furball!”_

She only heard Kurama snort.

* * *

Hinata’s team came in the next day. They looked a little battered and bruised, but ultimately healthy, and, most importantly, victorious.

“Hinata-chan!” Naruto squealed, rushing the poor girl. She didn't know how, but Hinata actually manages to keep them from blowing over when Naruto all but jumped into her arms. She had, like, some serious muscles hidden under her jacket.

“N-Naruto-chan?!” Hinata blinked, pulling away just enough to stare at her blonde friend, “you made it?” she smiled, “congratulations!”

“And before us?” Kia suddenly butted in, sniffing, “I bet that Uchiha did all the work for you.”

Naruto sneered, “nu-uh! Actually, I was a superstar, this time!” she made a V-for-victory, but Kiba only scoffed.

“Yeah right.”

“K-Kiba-” Hinata stuttered but didn’t push it any further. Akamaru tapped at them.

“Is there any food in here?” Kiba asked, huffing. Naruto threw her thumb over her shoulder in the general direction of the cafeteria, and Dog Breath took off with Shino.

It was only then that Naruto realized that she and Hinata were still hugging.

She stumbled back, her face growing hot, “uh, so, um, did you get a scroll easy?”

Hinata nodded, “we… um… yeah.”

Naruto raised an eyebrow, “doesn’t sound like it.”

“Well,” Hinata pushed the tips of her fingers together, “we managed to get the scroll easy off a group of Konoha-nin from the year above us… but… u-uh, we saw… something. Before that.”

Naruto’s heart stopped. Did they… encounter Orochi-freak, too?

The man was after Sasuke's Sharingan… why wouldn’t he be after the Byakugan, too? But… Hinata didn't seem too hurt- and hell, Naruto’s squad took a fucking beating from Orochi-freak, and it had her and Sasuke on it!

“Who?” she asked, stern, “was it a guy with white skin and long hair?”

Hinata blinked, looking confused, “n-no…” she looked around, her Byakugan suddenly actuating; Naruto had already swapped out her senses earlier, and there were no chakra sources in the area other than Kiba and Shino, “that group from… S-Suna. The one with red hair, he...” she looked even paler than usual if that were physically possible, “he killed the group from Ame.” she whispered, looking ready to puke.

Naruto’s lip grew to a thin line as she thought. Gaara was unstable, dangerous, and bloodthirsty. This she already knew; but, what nobody else seemed to know was that he was hurt and vulnerable and trying to make himself better.

“He… he knew we were there,” Hinata trembled, “b-but… let us go. H-his teammates… convinced him.”

Case and point.

He could have killed her best friend. But he didn't.

Naruto patted Hinata on the shoulder, “that sounds scary, but… I don’t think you need to worry about him, Hinata-chan!”

Her pale eyes grew wide, “w-why is that?” she clutched Naruto’s arm, “y-you’re not going to do something dangerous, are you? N-Naruto-chan?”

“Me? Dangerous? Nah, no way! I, uh, kind of knew Gaara, before the Chunin Exams, and we’ve been here in the tower together for a while… uh, he's bad, but trying to get better, y'know? And it’s not like he can hurt you, either. The examiners wouldn't let him.”

The girl looked like she wanted to argue, but simply nodded and pulled away, “I… should catch up with my team. Thank you for talking with me.”

“Yup! Have fun!”

Naruto waved, carefully watching her leave.

At least it wasn’t Orochi-freak.

…

Where did he even go, anyway?


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!   
> I know these are troubling times, but I sincerely hope everyone reading this is staying well. :)   
> My entire country is basically shut down, but at least that means I can stay home and try to remain healthy (I have a compromised immune system). I hope everyone else is doing the same, and anyone impacted by any illness goes to the doctor so that they can get better!!!
> 
> In the meantime, here is a thick boy of a chapter for you all to read while you stay home! ^^   
> I tried to get the preliminary fights over in one quick swoop... which makes me wonder how I have up to thirty chapters written for this fic because honestly, I don't remember what happens, we're in this ride together yall.
> 
> ALSO! I would like to thank my lovely beta reader holy_roller_novocaine!! <3 I'll be updating chapter one as well which has been edited for punctuation, sentence structure, and other grammar things I'm not great at. Give them a round of applause!! because we all know I won't be editing  
> (I bought New Horizons today and I've already sunk in three hours, so I'm sure you can guess what I'll be doing non-stop for the next week. :))

On the sixth day, the preliminary matches started. Despite all that had happened during the actual test, their stay at the tower was rather… normal. Peaceful, even. Disturbingly so. 

Naruto had been constantly checking over her shoulder, nervous that, at any time, Orchi-freak would pop out of nowhere with his stupid eyeliner and glowing and weird-ass chakra… and that he’d go after her or Sasuke or Sakura or all three of them… or Hinata or Gaara, or really anyone.

But he never showed up.

Surprisingly, the rest of the Rookie Nine (as the other team had begun calling them,) had managed to pass the Forest of Death section, along with one other Konoha squad, which belonged to the creepy Kanuto guy. One sound squad and Gaara’s team also remained. It was surprising to see that Konoha had the most teams remaining, since they were the coolest village, like, ever!

(It had nothing to do with the fact that Konoha had started out with the most teams)

They were all crowded around the viewing-decks of that gymnasium place she had Gaara had spoken in just a few days previous; everyone had been split off to either side and were now awaiting their opponents for the preliminary sparring matches.

“The next match…!”

Everyone stared, tense. The screen lit up, flinging through names faster than the eye could see before, eventually, stopping.

“Uzumaki Naruto versus Yorori!”

Naruto paused, staring down her opponent. He was the partner of that boring glasses guy, the one that had been staring down Sasuke ever since they first entered the tower. She bared her teeth at him, even as both of them climbed down the opposing stairs and onto the main deck of the area.

“Let's make this fast,” she said, eyeing her teammates on the second floor. Sakura looked shaky. She knew why; only the really strong opponents remained in the contest- Hinata, Neji, Lee, Kabuto, and Gaara. She’d have to face one of them. For her sake, Naruto hoped she went up against Kabuto, the one of unknown strength, or Hinata, while Naruto knew Sakura had a poor chance of winning against her, she knew that Hinata, at the very least, wouldn’t badly injure her.

Yoroi was another guy of unknown strength. Well- Naruto, at least, had faith in her own abilities, and she knew not many knew of her own strengths… making her fairly likely, or at the very least, fifty-fifty. Not that she ever doubted herself.

The prospector coughed, before raising his hands to the two opposing sides.

“No objections to the match?”

Naruto shook her head.

“Then… fight!”

Naruto immediately skipped backwards, dodging an immediate attack from the older Genin. She dashed to the side, avoiding a grab for her arm, and brought up her down foot in a roundhouse- aiming for the temples.

It missed, of course.

Instead, her leg was snatched right out of the air. It was only from the shock of that being  _ exactly what Orochi-freak had done,  _ that she actually allowed the other to use some kind of technique on her. His hand gleamed blue. She had no idea what he was doing.

He smirked at her- as if the technique was supposed to be doing something, and she frowned back. She slammed her foot downwards, taking his hand with it, and made a rash decision to jump and kick him with her other leg. 

The hit landed. 

She promptly fell.

Naruto was quick to recover, rolling to the side to dodge a- fuck?! The guy was  _ not  _ strong enough to crack the floor tiles just a second ago!

“Heh,” he smirked, flexing the hand that had just  _ broken the floor,  _ “you don’t look at it… but you’re abundant with chakra, aren't you?”

Her eyes widened.

**_“Did it take you that long to notice? He was stealing your chakra.”_ **

_ “Well, then, give me some of yours.” _

The fox banged his claws against the cage- but still flooded her senses with Kyuubi-chakra. Naruto inwardly chuckled.

_ “Thank you.” _

Kurama snorted, **_“that's right.”_**

“So, you were stealing my chakra? Sorry, I didn’t even notice.”

Despite all the confidence, there was still something shaky to her voice- the man had shockingly reminded her of Orochi-freak, and… it was just unsettling. Her eyes flickered up to Sasuke; the thick roll of bandages on his thigh, covering the gaping wound that he had nearly bled-out from. Sakura was all shaken, bruised and cut and barely managed to walk on a swollen ankle. What little healing-jutsu she could do wasn't enough to help.

The two of them were still grinning, looking down at her with vibrant expressions; Sakura was even verbally cheering for her!

Her eyes then moved to the others; Lee gave her a wink and a strong thumbs-up. Hinata smiled and opened her mouth- probably cheering, but far too quiet for anyone to really hear. 

Yoroi attacked- and something about the way he had the gall to think he could beat her up in front of all her adoring fans really ticked her the fuck off.

She flipped a kunai out of her pouch, quickly charging on the man. He dodged her initial kunai strike, but not the chakra-powered punch that came next. It hit his cheek- and the man released by throwing a punch of his own, then a grab, both of which Naruto purposefully didn’t dodge.

Instead, she held her ground, using chakra to forcibly stick her feet in place. Using all the strength in her body, she grabbed the man’s hand and smirked when he immediately went into his chakra-sucking technique.

She hoped to win the battle without using it… but it was just so much easier.

(And so _ worth it _ )

**_“All yours, kit.”_ **

Her smirk grew foxy.

“You like stealing chakra, huh? Then, why don’t you have some… on the house?”

His blue-covered hand instantly went red. The bubbling, oozing, honestly kind of snot-looking chakra started to swell up his arm and enter into his system, and she held hard even as he instantly began pulling away, already feeling the burn of the acid. She saw the skin on his arm grow red. His glove began disintegrating.

When he started screaming she let go.

He was shaky, holding himself and his arm and breathing deeply through clenched teeth. “W-what…?”

She didn’t bother looking at the shocked faces of everyone above her. She already knew they were there. Hopefully, Sakura wouldn't be too scared. And Sasuke? That bastard was probably smirking, wanting to fight her.

(A shiver of anticipation ran up her spine. Since when did doing the one thing she wasn't supposed to get so…  _ fun _ ? Oh, right. It always was.)

“The chakra you just absorbed is special, as you can already tell,” she smirked, allowing some to form over her palm. Then, she caught Kakashi’s eye. Boy, her teacher kind of looked… horrified. Right. He didn’t know if she could do this.

She turned her palm, and allowed the chakra to drop from her hand- making a disgusting  _ slapping  _ sound as it slammed against the floor.

It promptly began to sizzle, then steam, then  _ melt  _ the stone tiles below them.

“It’s corrosive.”

Yoroi gaped. He stepped back, legs shaking, no doubt already feeling the effects of the liquid fire burning through his system. She duly noted that Neji (Hinata’s weirdo-cousin. Sometimes she complained about him- in that nice, not-complaining-Hinata-way) was using the Byakugan- and gasping.

“It’s eating away at his coils-!” the Hyuuga announced.

“And it’ll start working its way to his organs after that. Then bone. Then muscle. Then flesh. And soon enough he’ll be nothing more than a puddle on the ground, burning its way through the title like this, here,” she crouched, tracing her finger around the hole that was already an inch-deep by her fingers. “I can stop it, if ya like. Only if you forfeit the match, though~ I mean, I’m going to win,  _ eventually _ , so why bother?”

The prospector coughed.

“I…” Yoroi seemed to look behind and above her- and Naruto was  _ very  _ tempted to see just what he was looking at. She didn’t, though, instead of keeping her eyes on her opponent.

**_“I love it when they squirm.”_ **

_ “That's because you’re a sadistic bastard.” _

**_“Demon,”_ ** Kyuubi corrected.

“I-I… forfeit!” Yoroi finally announced, voice shaking.

She gave a little sigh as he collapsed, and pushed herself up to her feet. She lazily strolled over to him, whistling, before placing a hand on his chest- but only to look up at the prospector in anticipation.

“... Uzumaki Naruto wins the match.”

“Thank you!” she happily cheered, before pulling a wad of Kyuubi-chakra out of the man’s chest and into her palm. It absorbed right into her skin. She wasn't finished, though, instead pulling her palm off of his chest and slamming back down- pushing her own, non-violable chakra through his system, cleaning it out and repairing it, ever so slightly.

He may not be in perfect shape after this, but he’d still be able to be a ninja. He  _ was _ a Konoha shinobi, after all. She couldn't just leave him like that.

“You’ll be fine, stop being such a baby,” she said, staring down at where he was still collapsed.

She went to move to the stairs- it seemed as though she needed to have a talk with Kaka-sensei.

A cough. She looked up to the prospector. 

“If… you wouldn't mind fixing the floor, as well.”

“Ah… oops! Sorry~” she promptly skipped over to the hole and absorbed that chakra as well, before looking up and shrugging, “nothing I can do for the hole, though. I don’t know any Earth Jutsu.”

“It’s… fine.”

It didn't sound like it, but she was content to just ignore that little fact.

“N-Naruto-chan… what… what was that? A… a k-kekkei Genkai?”

Ah, it looks like Neji wasn't the only one using the Byakugan. Well, it wasn’t like they needed any special eyes to see that the chakra she used clearly  _ wasn’t normal. _

Everyone else was staring at her. She had to fight to keep away the heat that threatened to rise to her cheeks.

_ “Maybe I overdid it.” _

**_“I say you didn't do enough.”_ **

She mentally rolled her eyes,  _ “of course you would think that.” _

Naruto tried to give the friendliest smile she could, reaching up and folding her hands behind her back, “nah- something a little bit cooler! It’s a secret, though~!” she grinned- eyes meeting Gaara’s. He gave her a little nod, that she had any idea what it was supposed to mean.

“Naruto,” it was Kaka-sensei.

“Hey, Sensei. I’m assuming we’re going to have…  _ the talk,  _ now,” she pouted, “can you wait for a second, though? I, uh, kind of wanted to talk to Sakura-chan and Sasuke.”

The look he gave her said that it  _ couldn't wait a second. _

“... Fine. But if I miss their matches it’ll be all your fault!”

He didn't look particularly concerned. 

Begrudgingly, she let him clap a hand on her shoulder (tight- warning? No… scared?) and lead her away down the stairs and out into the tower proper. She noticed the flicker of interest that Sasuke sent her, and the sacred look Sakura did. She frowned for a moment, then sent the two of them a big, dorky grin. Lee sent her a thumbs up- did he think it was meant for him, or something?!

They walked down a few hallways, getting Naruto infinitely lost, before stopping inside of some sketchy looking room. It was all dark and made of concrete with weird pillars and stuff, and Naruto frowned at the sight of it all.

She held her tongue as best she could, waiting for her teacher to make the first move. He seemed hesitant, looking her over with that one black eye of his, and all the blood in her veins started thumping at the thought of the Sharingan swirling just beneath his headband.

_ “Calm it, Kurama.” _

The fox braced its fangs, and she vehemently ignored him.

“You… Naruto…” Kakashi seemed at a loss for words.

Naruto gave him a quipped look, crossing her arms, “I just used Kyuubi chakra.”

Silence, for just a second.

“Yes… you did. I wasn’t aware you could do that,” Kaka-sensei said, tense, his words sickeningly prodded through and so carefully chosen. She stuck her tongue out at them.

“Ain’t I just full of surprises?” she didn't think Kakashi would pick up on the bitter tone.

_ Orochi-freak flashed to mind. _

_ He seemed to like her surprises. _

She wanted to vomit.

Kakashi looked like he wanted to, too. Obviously, he didn’t like the casual air to her.

“Naruto… you know that this is a very serious matter, yes?” he asked- prodding, hoping that she’d see it that way. His body was tense. Ready to attack, her instincts screamed, ready to  _ kill.  _ Her mind pushed and fought against the thought because she knew this man, knew him well, she thought. 

He wouldn't kill her.

“Serious?” she mimicked, grinning a little.  _ Did  _ she think it was serious?

Not really, of course, or, at least not in the way he thought so. Kurama was her best friend, dare she say, her  _ family.  _ He had treated her better than everybody in the village combined- with maybe the expectation of Iruka-sensei and Jiji. And,  _ maybe _ , some of the other Genin. Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata came to mind.

“Yeah yeah, evil demon foxes are bad,” she said, half-heartedly, “but, y’know, he's kinda in  _ my body _ , so I say that I get to use his chakra as much as I want, no?”

Kakashi seems conflicted because one, having a strong Jinchuuriki was a  _ good thing  _ but two, having the Kyuubi ‘take over her body and destroy the village’ was decidedly a  _ bad thing.  _ He also didn't have the fortune of knowing that Kurama would never  _ do that.  _ He may be a bloodthirsty  **demon** , but he knew that the Leaf and everybody inside of it (with the expectation of that sleazy old guy, and maybe a few others) were off-limits.

“Naruto… you need to take this seriously.”

“I  _ am  _ taking it seriously, Kaka-sensei. Ya just can't tell because I’m  _ so cool  _ and composed like a ninja  _ should be _ . It’s fine. I’m not gonna let the furball take over my body, or nothing if that's what yer worried about. I’m way too cool to let that happen. The seals are too strong for that, anyways.”

Kurama laughed. They both knew she was lying out of her ass.

**_“‘Cool’,”_ ** the fox snorted, sarcastically.

_ “That was  _ **_not_ ** _ what I meant by lying, you dumb fox-”  _ she hissed at him,  _ “I was talking about the seal and you know it!” _

The gates weren't even being held open, anymore, and Kurama had the liberty of taking over her body at any time he pleased. Not that she’d tell Kaka-sensei, or  _ anybody,  _ that, for that matter… but still. It was like a fun little inside joke. With her and her pet demon.

Kurama  _ asked for _ the title but didn't say anything.

Kakashi looked like he doubted it, just the tiniest bit, but then again he also looked a little reassured by the thought.

“How did you come across this, anyway?” he asked.

She frowned, “ya mean Kyuubi or the chakra-thingy?”

He gave her a look that meant both- but she assumed that he knew the answer to the former, already. Iruka most definitely made a report about it, and that report was most definitely related to Kakashi, and probably a majority of the shinobi in the village, for that matter.

She shrugged, “Jiji first told me about it,” lie  _ lie  _ **_lie_ ** . “Uuh, I first used his chakra at Wave, but at the time I didn’t really know what it was. Then in the forest…” she froze, then eyed Kakashi.

“... you do know what happened in the forest, right? I mean- somebody  _ had  _ to tell you… right?!” Sakura was a teachers pet, so Naruto just assumed that she had run off to tell Kakashi the second they were in the door…

But, then again, she didn’t remember what happened when the first got to the tower...

Kakashi looked at her, a little shocked and confused and worried- and she easily noticed the little unconscious edging his hand made towards his kunai holster. She ignored it.

She gulped, “we… we were attacked. By some crazy-ass weird guy who was _definitely_ above Genin level. Uh-” her mind blanked out, of course, right when it came to the important information, “I… I can't remember his full name and whatever title he said. I kept calling him Orochi-freak, though.” she hummed, was that enough to go by?  
Judging by the wide-eyed look Kakashi was giving her, it certainly seemed like it.

“Orochimaru… the Snake Sannin?!”

Recognition flooded her face like chakra flooded her system. Kakashi didn’t even need to see her slight nod for him to take a trembling, understanding breath.

“You should have told me about this earlier!” he hissed, unusually upset. He was all tense and coiled and worried and honestly she was actually beginning to get a little scared. Kakashi seemed to notice, and it was like his body-language did a 180, completely transforming to his usual lazy, uninterested psyche. They both knew it was fake, but it still helped her feel better.

“I just assumed Sasuke or Sakura did!” she hissed back, not liking being yelled at.

“Sorry, Naruto-chan. It's just that Orochimaru is… dangerous.”

She sniffed, unamused, “you’re telling me! The guy nearly killed us! If I didn’t-” she choked back the admission before it could come out, “if the seal didn’t suddenly loosen then I don’t know what would have happened!”

Kakashi frowned, just a little, subtle thing that was mostly hidden by his mask, “Naruto… you… fought against him?”

She gave him a weird look and a nod. “I’m super awesome, remember?”

He let out an exaggerated sigh, “do you… know what he was after?”

She scratched at the inside of her ear, uninterested, even despite the little jump in her chest at the reminder. “He… was really creepy. He was saying something about Sasuke and the Uchiha Clan, or whatever. Then when I started using Kyuubi-chakra he started talking about me, too,” she shifted, flicking off some wax, “if I had to guess… I’d say the dudes a total pedo.”

Kakashi had this sour look to him, but didn't say anything for a moment, “... thank you. For the information.”

She relaxed a little, watching as Kakashi started heading to the door.

“I need to make a report to Hokage. Feel free to rejoin the others, Naruto.”

She grinned, stepping out beside him and swinging her hand sup to rets against the back of her head. It seemed as though those Orochi-freaks brought the attention away from how she totally just controlled Kyuubi-chakra like it was her own. 

Kurama gave her a little mental shove and she shoved back. 

_ “I know, I know, you grumpy old fox. We’re a team. I think that you’re forgetting that  _ nobody else  _ knows.” _

The fox snorted,  **_“actually, I was going to tell you to be more careful next time, brat.”_ **

She whistled as she marched up the stairs. Several people were looking at her, warily, but she just grinned at them and parked herself next to Sasuke and Sakura.

_ “Too late for that, now. Kakashi I'll probably spread the word.” _

Sakura eyes her, and she gives her a little thumbs up. “Kaka-sensei and all the adults are a little afraid of the fuzzball,” she whispered, and both of her teammates edged closer- Sasuke looked immensely interested, which was unusual for the dumb bastard, "and they don’t really know that he's my friend, or nothing. Uh, keep that info on the down low, kay?”

They both nodded and the impromptu huddle released.

Naruto leaned against the bars, watching as Shino fought against that sound-nin guy, the one with the weird holes in his arms. He used bugs, gross. Her gaze flickered upwards, and she was met with the cold green eyes of Gaara. She sent him a wry grin. He nodded.

* * *

Sasuke’s match came up next. He was facing off against Kin, one of three sound ninjas. Her other teammates, Naruto didn’t remember his name, had lost against Shino, so it was just her and the creepy-bandaged buy left.

Sasuke confidently strode down to the main floor of the room, hands in his pockets and seemingly not a care in the world. Kin was looking at him, sharp and deadly. Naruto sniffed and smelt blood lust. Nobody else in the room was so prominent- save for, perhaps, Gaara. But Gaara’s was more of a low, dark scent that followed him everywhere. Kin was directly targeting Sasuke. Sasuke either didn’t notice or didn’t care. 

Of course he didn’t. He had his head up his ass.

He just kept attacking and- boy, did he not even realize how fucked up her chakra was?

“Use your Sharingan, dumbass,” she muttered under her breath. Sakura gave her a pinched look.

“The genjutsu, right? You can sense it, Naruto?”

“Yeah, I got like, one of those keki-whatever,” Naruto sniffed, “I can feel chakra n stuff… and genjutsu is made of chakra, so whenever something's funny I just assume it’s some kind of technique.”

Sakura nodded. “Kakashi-sensei’s been teaching me ways to find and break genjutsu-”

“Really? And you like that crap?’

“Don't call it crap!” Sakura hissed, pointing down at Sasuke- who stumbled and grabbed one of his ears, a little leak of blood dripping down his arm, “genjutsu is a powerful force! Sasuke-kun! Don't let it eat you!” she called, waving her arms.

Sasuke ignored her, or couldn't hear her, or something- but he didn't actually whip out the Sharingan and some ninja wire. He was running around like a chicken with its head cut off, but Naruto could tell that he was using his chakra to stick the wire to several places along the walls and floors, effectively trapping Kin where she was- because the girl was foolishly moving as little as possible.

Once Sasuke got her to start moving, it would be all over. Smart- it didn’t matter if you couldn't tell where she was from the genjutsu if she had nowhere to go.

“He's won,” she said, grinning. Sakura looked at her with a forced smile that could bring down the heavens.

“Now it’s up to me, right? I can’t be the only member of Team Seven to fail!”

Naruto nodded, grinning.

Kin got tangled up in the ninja wire- the bells she had under her control started dinging like crazy, but Naruto assumed Sasuke either used logic or guessed where she was well enough to aim a fire jutsu, which ended up giving the girl some pretty nasty-looking burns. Sick bastard.

(Then again, Naruto just corroded some guy from the inside-out)

Sasuke was claimed victor and slowly walked up the stairs like he owned the damn tower. It surprised Naruto when he actually accepted the offered high-five, and it didn't seem like his style. Maybe he’d like those fist bumps that B was always doing?

The next match was the bandage-guy versus the medical guy. The medical guy actually managed to win through a fluke (bandage guy tripped on one of his sleeves and fell on a left-over scalpel) but Naruto sensed some chakra at play… suspicious.

“Steer clear of that medical guy,” she whispered- watching as said ‘guy’ flashed them (her, Sasuke,) a weird look. He pushed up his glasses and she couldn't see his eyes.

Her teammates nodded, looking serious.

The board began flashing again.

* * *

It was her turn.

Sakura flexed her aching, bruised muscles slightly as she walked down the steps to the gymnasium. She was fighting against Ino…

Of all the people.

No. Ino was good. Because Ino was that creepy Suna guy (Naruto talked to him, sometimes? How did she say they knew each other, again?) or Lee-san with his surprising strength or the Hyuuga-boy who looked intimidating.

But it was Ino.

Ino. Her rival. In love. In school. In being a kunoichi.

(she realized, now, that perhaps Naruto were those things. Since when had she last talked to Ino, the way that she talked to Naruto?)

(For some reason, it made her… sad.)

Ino.

Her best friend.

Her  **former** best friend.

(The role was empty. Sakura felt empty.)

(Naruto didn’t take that role too, did she?)

(Since when did Sakura like… Naruto, all of a sudden? The girl who everyone hates. The girl her parents disapprove of. The girl who somehow managed to catch Sasuke's attention, and not even notice… did he not notice, either? The girl who had a demon sealed inside of her… the girl who managed to  _ befriend  _ that demon.)

Sakura stood in the middle of the sparring area, facing off against Ino. The girl looked too cocky. Why? Sakura was strong, wasn't she? She had been training and training and training and training, all day, not eating, not taking breaks. She woke up and trained and then got ready to train and came home and trained and did the same thing the next day.

(She felt like she was being left behind)

The inner her was quiet.

The battle started and Sakura pushed herself forward, indignantly. Know your enemy; Ino relied primarily on her clan’s secret technique to win her battles for her, and that was best used at a distance as to not leave opportunity for her real body to be attacked.

She kicked and punched and used a smoke-bomb as a distraction. When her hand moved into her weapons pouch it glazed over her weakest, dullest kunai, shoved all the way to the back, only to be used if necessary… the one that would cause the least amount of harm.

She passed over it and grabbed a sharp one.

What need did she have for old, dull kunai? She was a shinobi.

Ino barely dodged. Sakura cut her arm but didn't stop, continuing to use the weapon to attack her friend. Not to kill, but to win.

_ She realized, perhaps, that her inner-voice had gone quiet… _

She managed to get a solid kick to Ino’s stomach. The girl doubled over, groaning, attempting to block her next spin-kick. She didn't.

_ Because she started using her real voice. _

Ino was forming hand signs that Sakura knew well from their days at the academy- her clan technique. Had the hits been a ruse to get Sakura to underestimate her… to put her in a position where she could easily activate it and steal the match?

Not today.

Sakura formed her hand seals faster- months of drills and practice, twenty sets before bed, in the morning, and during lunch.

The genjutsu was set.

Ino aimed at the bunshin.

The real her readied a second-

Ino blinked awake when her jutsu failed and turned around just in time to see Sakura slamming her foot down, “I won't be left behind!: she screamed, foot slamming against the ground, “cha!”

It cracked and splintered and then  _ exploded-  _ but none other than Ino and Sakura could see, for the two of them were trapped within a world of genjutsu that Sakura had created. She panted, her chakra low from the use of such a draining technique- but it didn't matter. Ino screamed as the rocks pelted her, and in reality, her body crumpled form the shock, unconscious.

And Sakura was standing there- the victor.

She turned around. Her teammates were smiling.

* * *

Hyuuga Hinata was next.

Her heart was beating, trimming against her ribcage like the wings of a hummingbird on steroids. She saw her name come up first, bright screen against the unforgiving pit of black that was the screen- and the next two, three (it couldn't have been more than that, could it?) seconds felt like an eternity. Every scrambled combination seeme dot only be spelling one single name, and Hinata swore she was psychic because she almost  _ knew  _ which one would come up-

_ Hyuuga Neji. _

She almost fainted on the spot. 

Kiba grabbed her shoulder but her eyes weren't on him. Instantly, they went to Neji- stern and immovable and all the strength of a mountain. Hinata shrunk back in her coat as he walked past, feeling the pebble, precariously perched on the edge and seconds away from falling at the eruption.

Perhaps, she would tumble down the hill.

Perhaps, she would sink into the lava.

Her eyes wandered and wandered yet- bright azure met pale lavender and impossible her heart rate sped up. She was coming this way, stopping right in front of her and taking her nearly-slack body from Kiba’s hold. She smelt like miso and salt; the usual.

“You’ll do great,” Naruto said, grinning. Hinata’s face went red- did Naruto grin that way for everyone? She must have.

But then, why would Hinata feel so special to be looked at, that way?

“You’re stronger than you think, y'know, Hinata-chan! Ya just gotta stop doubting yourself! And, if ya get hurt, I’ll make sure that Sakura helps ya, right away?”

Ah, yes, Sakura was a medic now, yes? She was currently working on Ino. The two always seemed to hate each other in class… but right now, they seemed to be chatting happily. Hinata wished she had strength, like that.

The heavy jar of herbs weighed down her pocket. Hinata’s fingers slid into the cool fabric before pulling it out.

“U-um,” was she really about to ask something so embarrassing? Yes. No. Er- Yes! No! Ugh! “U-um, wait,” Naruto paused, looking weirdly at her- Hinata pushed the ointment into Naruto’s hand and was about to turn away when he realized that people typically used words to explain themselves, “um-”

“That's, like, you’re third um. What is this stuff?” Naruto opened the lid, sniffed, and made an adorable scowl.

She squeaked, “that's, uh, medical ointment. S-sorry, it can be a little strong if you’re, uh, not used to it… Um, Naruto-chan-” she still couldn't believe she was calling her  _ that _ , “Could you…”

“Yeah, sure!”

Hinata blinked.

“You want me to keep it safe, right?”

Hinata nodded.

She couldn’t ask…

She thanked Naruto and went down to where her opponent was waiting for her- both feeling weaker and stronger at the same time. Could she even psychically have such contradicting thoughts? Her head felt so full that she honestly thought it would explode.

Neji tried to dissuade her from entering the fight many times, but… Hinata could feel Naruto’s eyes on the back of her skull- and for once, the sickening feeling of being watched wasn't present. She instead felt encouraged- and that, despite being alone with her cousin in the ring, she wasn’t alone in this.

She set herself into a battle stance, palm outward and legs firm. She gave Neji the hardest look she could possibly manage, and her Byakugan activated before the match could even start, “I refuse to back down.”

Neji looked… a sparkle of impressed, perhaps- but there was still that unlying, undeniable coldness to his gaze as his own Byakugan activated. “I am impressed by your resolve, Hinata-sama, but I do still advise you to drop the match. It would be unwise of me to harm the Main Brance’s heiress.”

As if she was even considered the heiress. Her father had made it abundantly clear that Hanabi would be placed into that role when she graduated the academy; the only reason Hinata even still held it was because she was the firstborn, and therefore had the right. Only if Hanabi challenged her for her title and won would Hinata be removed, and they all knew that would happen.

But she didn't care.

She didn't want to be the leader of a clan so biased that it marked its own as little more than slaves.

The examiner stated the match when Hinata still refused to back down- yet neither of them moved. Hinata’s gaze was stuck on Neji’s forehead, just under where his Leaf symbol stood.

Then they flickered to Naruto.

Discrimination…

She eyed her own outstretched palm.

It hurt everyone.

(Hanabi, standing over her in the sparring ring, a smirk dancing on her face.)

(The eyes of all those in her clan, pale, but judging. The smirk was hidden behind polite hands and gentle smiles. The way their eyes flashed to her younger sister. Even her father's eyes…)

(The caged bird seal, hidden as much as possible, yet those who held it always felt its weight.)

(Watching Neji-nii-san squirm on the ground in pain)

(The weird looks the villager gave Naruto. Hinata had done her research; she had her own ideas about what it was about.)

(The death of the Uchiha clan; the rouge brother who had forever changed Sasuke. Hinata still remembered the boy from her youth… quiet, but kind.)

(The other girls were laughing about Sakura behind their backs, knowing Hinata was there. Knowing she wouldn't tell.)

Hinata attacked.

Neji immediately dodged her first two blows and threw out his own- Hinata didn't manage to edge the whole hit, but at least took the brunt of it in her shoulder, rather than the chest. Still, she felt the sting of her chakra line’s being forcibly closed- too close to her heart.

It skipped a beat. She felt faint.

She brightens up her leg to kick- surprising, the gentle fist didn’t include much of the feet. Hinata knew that- Neji did, as well, and the sudden, underdog attack managed to take him by surprise long before for her foot to come down and for two fingers to strike- he blocked, but nevertheless, she still hit his forearm.

Any hit was a success.

“Go! Hinata-chan!”

Naruto’s voice was so bright, so happy. Hinata remembered through sad, sad eyes. Remember the day where Naruto was alone, watched by everyone around her, sneered at by the other kids.

But she also remembered the first day where the two of them didn't eat lunch alone.

Hinata attacked again.

“You may be hurt, Neji-nii-san. I understand. The practices of the Main House… and how we treat the Branch Family… is not right. It’s disgusting,” Neji seemed shocked enough that Hinata actually managed to dodge his next swing, “but… I truly think that we can make it better.”

His eyes narrowed, “this is my fate,” he said, quietly. “It has chosen me. And I cannot go against it.”

Hinata’s lips pursed.

In her moment of thought, Neji attacked. The hit was sudden, blasting against her chest and knocking all the air out of her lungs.

Her heart stopped. They started, too fast, faster than ever before. It sputtered and stopped again.

She vaguely realized she was laying on the floor.

“And this is your fate, Hinata-sama.”

She bit her lip and forced herself not to scream as she sat herself up. Trembling, her legs just barely managed it work, supporting her body like a house of cards. She once more moved into the gentle fist.

Her eyes caught Naruto’s.

“I don’t… believe in fate,”

Naruto, all alone.

Naruto, surrounded by friends.

Naruto, hated by the village.

Naruto, being cheered on by Sasuke and Sakura.

If she could do it… why couldn’t Hinata?

The sour thoughts of father and Hanabi and being the failed, forgotten heiress came to mind. She tried to push them down with all the might in the world. She could summon it all, if she had to. She wouldn't back down.

_ What was even the point of running a disgusting clan that didn't even want her? _

Hinata bit her lip, shaking, but she still strutted forward and began throwing everything she psychically had at her cousin, “I swear, Neji-nii-san!” she managed to land a hit on his thigh, and his leg buckled slightly as she stored down his coils as best as she could, “I… I will take my place as heiress- and change the Hyuuga Clan! I won't allow the Branch Family to be treated this way anymore!”

Neji’s eyes widened and he pushed himself away from her, bouncing and back springing to a stop.

His eyes went wide and he looked to the examiner. The man averted his eyes, coughing. He had no place in this fight; this was just between her and Neji.

“Hinata-sama… that… I cannot advise you to go against fate, like that,” he said, sternly, “you will only lose in the end.”

She was panting. Her chest felt like it was about to cake in, her knees weak… she knew, at this point, that she was still standing from willpower alone. She could faintly hear Naruto, saying something to her… but everything sounded like she was underwater, and the only voice she could truly understand belonged to that of her cousin.

“I… advise you..” she mocked, coughing- was her throat wet? Her chest was aching… how hard had he hit her, earlier? “Not to… rollover, and accept life, like that. You will… only be unhappy.”

Neji frowned. “I will not forfeit,” he said, bluntly- the tables had turned, then, and now it was Neji fighting to keep going in their ring. Of course, his battle was purely mental. 

Hinata quivered, “good,” she said, “you’re fighting fate… already…”

Her knees gave out. She vaguely heard a scream- but couldn’t remember just whose voice that was… 

Naruto threw herself down into the ring before the match was even called. It didn't matter; Hinata was down, and she needed  _ help.  _ The Jounin lady, Hinata's teacher, was faster- already crouching next to the prone Hyuuga’s form, quickly unzipping her jacket and pressing her ear to her chest.

“She’s having palpitations,” the Jounin lady whispered, “We need a doctor! Now!”

Naruto was skidding to a halt just next to Hinata- bti there was nothing she could do other than grab the girls hand and hold it tight as the medics came rushing in, unrolling a stretcher and shouting orders to each other.

“Is she going to be okay?” she asked.

The Jounin only nodded, “if they act fast, then there should be no lasting damage…”

Should.

Naruto didn't like the uncertainty of that.

She nervously stuffed her hands in her pockets as she was ordered to stand back, and was met with the cool container of medical ointment. She held it so tight that it almost cracked.

Neji was still standing there, staring at her. Naruto snarled.

“You some kind of monster, or something?” she asked.

Neji turned his nose up at her, “says the girl who just burned a man from the inside out.”  
Naruto huffed, “ya want me to do it to you, too?” her fingers flexed and acidic chakra began flooding her system- she was vaguely aware of Kakashi shifting in the viewing deck. 

She took a menacing step forward, pushing up her sleeves, “I’ll get revenge for Hinata, you bastard!”

A green blur blocked her vision- it was Lee. 

Naruto took a step back as Lee blocked her way towards Neji, his mouth forming a solid frown, “I ask that neither of you fight outside of the designated matches!”

Ah, as unorthodox as he looked, Naruto had to remind herself that Lee was a bit of a stickler for the rules. Or… honour? Or something?

Naruto didn't care about things like that. All she knew was that she had to protect her own- her precious people - and Hinata was one of them. She sniffed, giving Neji a look, “yeah, yeah. But just know this, Hyuuga, I’ll be coming for you. And when I do? Ya won’t know ya hit ya.” she would get revenge for Hinata… surely, she would.

The Hyuuga sniffed at her and tossed his head, hair like a cascading waterfall of girly-ness, as he and Lee made their way up the stairs. Naruto didn't follow after them; she instead went on to the other side of the room and docked herself beside Gaara on the observation deck.

“Why?” Gaara asked.

She turned to him, eyebrows raised.

“Why fight for her? She is weak.”

Naruto leaned against the railing, eyes not leaving the sparring ring as the cleaners came in and mopped up Hinata’s blood. She growled; Cat-ears flinched.

“Because she is important to me.”

“But she's weak.”

She turned, eyeing Gaara, “a person's value is not equal to their strength. Hinata is kind and passionate about what she believes in, you heard her, she wants to turn her clan into something better. That's a good goal, I think, even though it doesn't involve physical strength… but emotional strength.”

Gaara seemed to contemplate this for a moment. 

Naruto noticed Sasuke crawling up behind them. She gave him a quick look (he looked guarded, for some reason. Why… was he here? With his hand so close to his weapons pouch-?)

She continued on her conversation as if he weren't there.

“It’s a little hard to understand… the good qualities of people. I think… that people are kind of like rice balls. Y’know, they have flavours; but everyone's flavour is on their back. When you look around, all you can see are everyone else’s flavours… Sakura’s leek, Hinata’s jam…” she nodded to Sasuke, “pickled plum.”

He snorted.

Gaara looked about to murder him. Naruto put up her hand.

“But then, a lonely little rice ball might look at itself, and think  _ I’m so plain, I’m made of nothing but boring white rice…  _ but sure enough, turn it around, and there's a pickled plum there.”

Sasuke’s eyes were boring into the side of her face.

Why was he even here?

Go away- little Uchiha. 

She patted Gaara on the shoulder- he flinched, but didn't move away, this time, “sometimes, the filling gets covered in white rice, and it’s hard to see… other times. It's clear as day. And even if you don't like someone’s flavour doesn't mean nobody does… and just because you can't see your own, doesn't mean it's not there,” she grinned, looking Gaara directly in the eyes, “but sure enough, I can see, Gaara. You have a nice piece of salmon back here!” she patted his back, hard, as it would prove her point, “I can see your good traits… and if anything were to happen to you, then I’d be there to defend you… just like I was with Hinata. Do you understand?”

He nodded, but still looked a little confused,”a little.”

Her grin was bright and hurt her cheeks, but she let it stay there, anyways. Honestly, she wasn't sure that she’d be able to fight it away, even if she tried with all her might.

“Don’t be a picky eater, Gaara-chan! Y’know,  _ they’re  _ not what you think… once you get to know  _ him…  _ I think you may just like what you find.”

And suddenly he stopped amusing her by hearing her rice ball story. He rudely started moving away, and- oh, wait, his name is up on the board. Naruto wished him luck as he was suddenly caught up in a whirlwind of sand, teleporting inside of the sparring zone. Now that he wasn't blocking her view, she could see the shocked looks of his two siblings. She snickered.

Something pulled at her sleeve. Ah, yes, the stowaway Uchiha.

“Why’d you come over here, anyway?”

Sasuke had a really weird look on his face, but he turned away before she got a chance to analyze it, “never mind. Let's just watch the fight.”

Ah, yes. The fight. Gaara was facing off against Rock Lee. A very interesting combination, she would say… and, honestly, she wasn't overly sure who would come out on top.

Sure, Gaara was a Jinchuuriki… but he really didn’t have any control over his abilities, and it wasn’t like he was really getting any cooperation from Shukaku, either… just enough to keep him alive. Gaara was very strong, she was sure (she hadn't ever really seen him fight, but could just assume that, because what Jinchuuriki  _ wasn't  _ strong?) but…

Well, frankly, Rock Lee was also pretty damn strong. He was above Genin level, that was for sure… considering how he was about the same level as Sasuke, and Sasuke was above Genin level. He was damned fast and damned strong and damned well sure of himself, and he was up to the challenge of taking on Gaara- unlike the majority of the people in this room, who were cowering at the thought of fighting him.

She smirked, leaning on the rail next to Sasuke.

Either way, this was gonna be good.

The fight started out as one could predict. Lee was fast, but Gaara’s sand shield was faster. Kurama was rumbling around in the seal- probably because the longer the fight went on, the more of Shukaku’s chakra was being leaked out through the sand.

It seemed like Gaara would take an easy win.

Everything changed when Lee took off his weights.

He was even faster than Naruto- fuck, her eyes couldn't even track him! He zipped around the arena like the fucking Yellow Flash, or something, slamming his feet and arms and whole body against Gaara’s sand shield, and it was getting to the point where the sand was increasingly unable to catch up.

Lee must have thrown a roundhouse. The sand exploded behind Gaara where it barely managed to block- and crumbled away in preparation to block another attack. Gaara swivelled to look behind but Lee was already coming at the side, another too-fast kick that already made it through to his face.

If Gaara wanted to win he’d have to start going on the offensive. He was giving Lee too much power by standing in one spot, just allowing the hits to come.

Naruto wouldn't say that. Even if she was Gaara’s Bijuu sensei- Lee was a Konoha shinobi and honestly someone she kind of respected, even if he was wearing spandex and had a hard-on for honour. She respected his ambition and his conviction.

Whoever won was whoever won.

Lee managed to land a hit on the back of the head.

And something in changes in Gaara's chakra- for once, it didn't seem like she was the only one actually capable of sensing this chakra... probably because Bijuu chakra was so volatile and thick that it could actually become a special mass when enough was completed.

Shukaku was on the cusps of taking over… which, considering how he and Gaara were still enemies and a really bad thing.

Naruto was immediately on edge as Gaara started laughing- and his sand was moving like never before, in a way too sharp, too deadly, too practiced to belong to Gaara and his measly control…

This had to be Shukaku.

Lee was steadily falling behind, now, because no matter how fast he was, there was no way to dodge the complete avalanche of sand steadily chasing after him. The boy fell. His arm and leg were grabbed- Gaara lifted his hand, and…

“Gaara.”

Kyuubi chakra choked the air, smothering that of Shukaku’s.

Gaara’s head snapped so hard to her that he nearly thought his neck had just broken- but it now, there was a glaze in his eyes, but she could clearly see consciousness there. She wasn't sure if it was Gaara or Shukaku or a mixture of the two fightings for dominance… and she didn't care. They had responded to her, and that was all that mattered.

“The match is over. There's no way Lee can come back from this,” she said, turning to the prospector, “call it.”

She thought Lee would argue- only to then realize he had fallen unconscious.

The examiner coughed, “Gaara is the winner.”

There was a groan Lee was standing, but his eyes were glazed and muscle lax and there was no way the boy was able to retain consciousness… if he barely had any chakra, before… well, he definitely didn't have any, now. Would he… die from chakra loss? Was there anything they could do?

The guy from earlier (wait, his name was  _ actually  _ Guy, right? That's hilarious) jumped in and collected Lee, taking him away… probably to the medics place, or something.

Sasuke pulled at her jacket, again, and scoffed, “what are you doing, dobe?”

She sniffed, “saving Lee’s life.”

“That wasn't your call to make.” Sasuke frowned. 

Since when did he care?

Gaara appeared by her side and she smacked him upside the head- his sand never seemed to appear when it concerned her.

“It was. Considering how this nimrod just about released Shukaku on our asses and killed himself.”

Gaara looked away when Naruto slapped him again. He seemed to have regained himself, at least.

“And while I’m all for letting the Bijuu free,” - Sasuke gave her a  _ real  _ weird look - “I’ve heard that Shukaku ain’t stable… and I don't want to risk him killing everyone in the room. Plus Gaara.”

Sasuke was still frowning. Naruto huffed, crossing her arms.

“I won’t let nobody hurt my friends. Not even my friends.”

Sasuke’s eyes changed at that… but he didn't say anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The riceball thing was, uh, stolen. From Fruits Basket  
> actually several themes form this story are derived from Fruits Basket, as I had been rewatching that show at the time of writing this fic. For anyone who hasn't seen the show I highly recommend it!! ^^


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of a shorter chapter this week, which I guess is probably because last week's chapter was *so large* like almost 5x larger than this one, by dudes. Oof. 
> 
> On another note:  
> We're finally onto my second google doc! The first doc was starting to load very slow at a lovely 336 pages, so I started a new document. This also means that we're roughly halfway through the story!! And, just so you know, this story is technically "complete", but I do want to continue it in... a way. :)

They were drawing names. Or, well, numbers, which lead to names, which would be placed on a tournament board to determine the next matches that the Genin would face…

Naruto wasn't really listening all too well, so the meeting went something like ‘winners’ bla bla bla ‘number determines opponent’ bla bla ‘showcase skills’ bla ‘become Chunin’ bla bla. Which sounded pretty good to her.

She just had to show everyone how fucking cool she was? No problem! She did that, like, every day!

She drew a four.

Gaara drew a five.

So, two Jinchuuriki facing off in the first match? She was a tad disappointed as that seemed like something fit for the final round, but whatever. She was just excited to show Gaara what she was made of- of course, she had to show him what _he_ was made of (figuratively, of course, she was no doctor-scientist whatever) during the month-training period they were giving them between now and the matches.

Free vacation!!

Sasuke was facing off against Neji… and Sakura was against that stupid, lazy Shikamaru from their Academy class, who was one of Naruto's few acquaintances from that time. The other matches didn’t seem all too interesting, so she didn’t take much care into who was left.

Naruto left with a grin on her face. The Genin were all assisted back to Konoha-proper by their Jounin sensei, and both Kakashi and Sasuke kept giving her looks on the way back. She snorted.

Kakashi, ultimately, didn't say anything, which was fine with her, because she didn't feel like dealing with that stuff, right then. 

“Naruto.”

Great.

So, Sasuke was the one stopping her.

“What?!” she whined, turning around, “Make it fast, bastard! I'ms going to go get me some victory ramen!”

He snorted. “‘ _I’ms_ ’?” He asked, raising an eyebrow, “Are you five?”

She stuck her tongue out, “Maybe.”

He looked perturbed. “I’ll come with you.”  
“Wow-” her pigtails slapped against her face as she made a dramatic turn, instinctively moving towards Ichiraku, “Not even going to ask, huh? Just going to invite yourself and assume it’s okay? What a Sasuke-thing to do.”

He easily caught up with her, considering that she wasn't really trying to get away from him in the first place- the more the merrier, she always thought… and, besides, after she had gotten to know Sasuke a little better… well, he wasn't as bad as she always thought he was.

Guess she should have taken her own advice, and not judging a book by it’s cover.

“‘Sasuke-thing’?” he asked, brow seemingly permanently glued in its raised-spot.

She snorted, “Y’know, if it’s rude and if you could imagine a bastard doing it, then it’s a Sasuke-thing.”

“And if I do something nice?”

She nearly laughed out loud. Was he actually trying to joke with her? Wow- maybe some enemy shinobi just hanged themselves as Sasuke, or she fell into another dimension… or… something. Because this couldn't be the guy she knew.

“Like what?”

“Like going to get ramen with you.”

She actually laughed this time.

Sasuke glared, " _w_ _hat_?”

“You… you…” she wiped a tear from her eye, “You just had to go and _Sasuke_ it up.”

“You’re using my name as a verb, now?”

She giggled maddeningly, the two of them sitting at the ramen bar, “You deserve it,” she said, ordering a miso-ramen between chuckles. Sasuke asked for tomato slices on the side and, like, who the heck ate tomatoes with ramen? What a weirdo. “You said you were coming like you were doing me some kind of favour, or, ah,… or a ‘ _nice_ ’ thing, as you said… that's how you Sasuke-d it.”

He snorted, breaking his chopsticks, “I’m keeping you company. Would you rather go alone?” He seemed offended. Was he offended? He couldn't be offended.

 _Why_ would he be offended by that? By her not wanting to hang out with him?m Last time she checked, the two of them didn't get along very well.

She mulled over it- she wasn't ever truly alone, but it wasn't like Kurama was going to pop into existence and eat ramen with her… he was too big. And refused to be small, or go into a human-form, no matter how much Naruto begged him to- because that would be totally awesome!

“I have other friends,” she said- Hinata, Sakura… Kurama… uh, Gaara? Shikamaru? Choji? Or. Well. She had other friends.

“I don’t see anyone else here.”

“Cause we just… well, one of them is in the hospital… and Sakura ran off…”

“But I’m here.”

There was a long silence. Sasuke bit into one of his tomatoes and she retaliated by eating her fish-cake.

“You eat the fish-cake first?” 

Why was that so perplexing?

“It's the best part!”

He blinked, “Which is why normal people save it for last.”

She grumbled, biting on the edges of her chopsticks, “Whatever.”

Why would people make themselves wait for what they wanted? 

He chuckled- not smirked or snickered - but like, he actually fucking laughed. Was an Uchiha even physically capable of doing that? It seemed like Naruto was managing to discover new laws to the universe every single day; she was a bit of a scientist, after all.

“So, you’re too impatient to wait?”

She huffed, “Why should I have to wait?! It’s _my_ ramen, and I can do what I want with it!” As if to prove her point, she took a huge helping of noodles and slurped them up all at once- noodle overload. It was heaven.

Sasuke chuckled lightly but didn't comment on the string hanging from her mouth.

He paid the bill when they left. Naruto adamantly refused- but each and every time she threw down her cash, he would pick it up and throw it in her face, mocking her. Was he calling me poor? He better now be- they were on the same team and made the same amount of money, y’know!

She huffed, unable to take any more without strangling him- and with a scream, she ran away into the night.

Sasuke was left standing there, the warmth of the little ramen soft wafting on the left side of his face. The other side felt cold in the night air, despite it being summer.

“Thanks,” the old man at the ramen stand said as Sasuke slid over the bills.

Sasuke nodded and turned to leave.

“Wait,” the man said.

Sasuke turned, eyebrow shooting up.

“Just… thanks. For looking out for her.”

He stilled, “What do you mean?”

The man sighed, “The kid doesn't have a lot of friends, and… I kind of overheard you arguing, or flirting, whatever the two of you were doing-” Sasuke felt his face heat, but it must have been from the fryer the man was operating so close by, “but you were dead on. She often comes here alone, but today… she seemed happy. Thanks, young man.”

Sasuke gave him an awkward, curt nod, and started on the long, cold walk to his apartment. Honestly, if he had left the Forest of Death then he would have been home within minutes, but now he had to take a detour.

He couldn't help but look in the direction that Naruto had run off in and smile… 

_Not a whole lot of friends…_

_I protect my friends. Even from my friends._

(Was she... protecting _them_ from the Kyuubi?)

(Or the Kyuubi from _them_?)

_(How was it that he honestly wasn’t able to tell? And that he knew she saw no distinction between the two.)_

_Would you rather go alone?_

_I have friends._

**_I don't see anyone else here_ **

  
  


“But I’m here.”

  
  


_Naruto, you don't seriously expect me to believe you have a friend outside the village!_

_We sorta have mutual friends. Only mine is scarier._

_And my dream for the future… is to fulfil a promise that I made to my most important friend!_

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and thought of everything they had been through… the **Kyuubi** … and snorted. He wondered how he had passed upon her all these years, never realizing just how amazingly powerful she truly was. She coul control demons. Hell, she could befriend them- which was something not even the most powerful of Shinobi could do. 

_Is that supposed to scare me?_

No, Even more than that.

_I think… that people are kind of like rice balls._

_I can see your good traits._

**_We’re a lot more similar than you’d think_ **

He looked back, once more, wishing, perhaps, to be a flash of yellow or orange or red. Some crazy, annoyingly loud colour that somehow perfectly matched the girl who wore them.

He didn't see her, but he saw the traces of her that he left behind. The footprints of mud from where she stepped in a puddle. A lonely coin that she had failed to pick up from when he threw it at her. The man was washing her ramen bowl.

The bright, warm atmosphere of Konoha…

The way the bright lights reflect against rain-slicked stone, flashing red and orange and yellow and nearly casting the allusion that it was her, standing atop the lampposts and light in the city.

He smirked because he realized that maybe such loud, bright colours weren’t so useless.

And maybe loud, annoying people… weren't so useless… either.

**_Living beings aren't tools._ **

Maybe…

_Her eyes, the brightest shade of azure, sparkled, but not at him He watched, intense, his own dark gaze meeting that of glazed seafoam- but neither of their eyes was truly on each other. But cast upon whiskered cheeks and an upturned nose and bright eyes with long, wispy lashes, meeting haphazardly with long blonde bangs, not at all tied back by her headband that she wore more as an accessory than a proper uniform._

_The face turned towards him, a flicker of something so vaguely_ Naruto _in her eyes. She was grinning that same, usual, foxy grin, that he only just now realized the meaning of._

_He watched as her mouth formed the words, reading them before they even came out._

_“Pickled plum.”_

**_I can see your good traits._ **

**_Pickled Plum._ **

She was worth something.

_Miso._

Maybe he needed more than just hatred.

Next time, he thought about ordering the miso ramen and eating the fish-cake first.

_Nobody deserves to be treated like they aren’t even alive- not even monsters.)_

_(Itachi)_

_(Could he befriend his own monster… just like she had?)_

* * *

His sandals clacked as he met with the cobblestone just inside the gates. 

“Home sweet home, huh?” he snorted. It didn't feel much like home, but he would defend it till his last breath, nonetheless.

The two shinobi (just boys, really,) stared at him for a moment, debating whether or not to stop him as he entered the village. He turned and grinned, which easily transformed into a smirk as the two realized just who it was that had arrived.

“I’m here via the Hokage's summons.”

They nodded and didn’t give him a lick of trouble as he waltzed through. He could smell the thick waft of steam in the air, and all the perverted instincts that he had gained over his perilous years of “research” were calling him to just skip the damn meeting and head over to the hot-springs plaza of town- but, alas, for the meeting has to do with his darling goddaughter and her pesky pet fox.

“Yo,” he greeted, vaguely reminding himself of a certain silver-haired shinobi as he easily balanced himself on the windowsill. 

Sarutobi looked up from his paperwork, only a mild flash of surprise on his face, “Jiraiya,” he greeted, setting down the pages in a large, headache-inducing pile as he lit his pipe, “you arrive faster than I expected.”

“You said it was urgent,” Jiraiya jumped down into the office and dismissed the ANBU with a flick of the hand.

“And it is,” Sarutobi chuckled, though it lacked any real sense of mirth, “but that's never brought you home earlier, has it?”

Jiraiya’s chuckle held a bit more warmth, “I suppose not,” he easily sat himself down, sandals clicking and cloth shifting. The wide scroll hung from his back pit awkwardly in the chair, but he didn’t bother to move it. “What's so urgent that you didn’t even dare to write about it in the letter? Something about the seal?”

Indeed, Sarutobi hadn’t told him exactly what was wrong with Naruto that he was required to show his face- but he could make an educated guess as to what exactly it was. He was the only one with access to the key, after all…

“She's been using Kyuubi chakra.”

His face was sony and shadowed and all things grave.

Jiraiya didn’t get it.

“That's a good thing, is it not? I mean, if the kid can control it… then, that would be a huge advantage for the village…”

Kushina… hell, not even _Mito_ could properly use that beast’s chakra. The damned stuff was just too volatile. Jiraiya had tried his hand in it when Kushina was still kicking, but… fuck, not even he could get a real grasp on it. He understood the gist of it; being that it’s chakra reserves were massive and that the chakra itself was… mutant. It easily took physical form in a dense, acidic mess that could corrode almost anything, and that it was one of the most toxic substances in the world, with no cure.

The only humans capable of touching it and surviving were the Jinchuuriki or Hashirama. Not even the Uchiha or Madara was ever reported able to contain the chakra- unless the Sharingan was involved… and even then, it wasn't true control of the Kyuubi's chakra but rather control of the Kyuubi itself. Which was different.

“She would be immensely powerful…” Jiraiya continued.

“That's exactly the problem,” Sarutobi sighed, “she's powerful; far more than she really should be, at this point in her career as a shinobi. The amount of control she has over Kyuubi chakra seems to be more than we have ever seen… and… well, we have no explanation for how she could have learned it.”

Jiraiya sat back, humming, contemplating. That was… a lot to take in, honestly. The way the old man was talking about it- it almost made it sound like…

No.

That was ridiculous.

Sarutobi straightened, seeming to understand his sudden shift in thought, “have you thought about something?”

He rubbed his chin, “it sounds impossible… but… you don’t think, that she's…” he changed his train of thought, just before it could slip, “ _communicating_ with the beast? Or that she's found a way to control it?”

Dead silence.

“That does sound impossible.”

“Well,” he sifted, rubbing at his hair, “it’s not like others haven't done it in the toast. The Sharingan, wood release… who knows what other things the beast is weak to? Or maybe it’s just Minato’s seal, itself? I’ll have to take a look at it, to be sure.”

“Of course,” Sarutobi said because they both knew Jiraiya wasn't really asking.

“Good luck finding her.”

He stood up with a groan, “how hard could it be?”

Sarutobi smirked at him.

Turns out it was very hard.

He had been searching for the better part of two days. He had checked the apartment she lived in several times; but never did he seem to catch her at home- where was she sleeping? What was she doing all day?

He checked her teammates. Then with Kakashi. She wasn't at the Genin’s houses, and Kakashi hadn’t seen her since the day of the preliminary matches- and Jiraiya wasn't in the mood for dealing with kids who would interrogate him as much as he did them. 

Then he checked the ramen bar Sarutobi tipped him off too. Hadn’t seen her since she had been there with the Uchiha boy. He checked the training grounds. All of them.

Nowhere.

She was nowhere.

If he didn't know better, he would’ve thought the girl had up and become a rogue ninja; but then he thought of the possibility that she left the village to train somewhere more secluded… but the two Chunin guarding the gates hadn’t ever recorded her leaving.

Strangely, he had never met the girl, but still had a sense of who she was, from where she had been. She took after her mother, he would say- from the messiness of her apartment to the ramen place being her number one frequented establishment, to the descriptions he had heard throughout his search.

Many people liked to gossip about one Uzumaki Naruto.

Though he found, increasingly, the gossip was changing from negative, more towards positive. At least there was that. Last he heard from Sarutobi, the girl was the pharaoh of Konoha.

He sniffed, unconsciously moving towards the bathhouses. He would take today to relax, and pick up his search tomorrow. They still had time for everyone to get their sorry asses to Konoha for the Chunin Exams, anyways. So as long as the girl wasn't running around releasing demons, it would be fine…. 

* * *

_(During Jiraiya's entry to Konoha)_

Naruto opened her eyes and found herself in the seal.

**“Great. Let's begin.”**

She sprawled to her feet- “what exactly are we doing today?”

**“Working on your tails.”**

Her lips pursed, “tails…?” her mind flashed back to the forest of death- and the overwhelming **_power_ **that flooded through her veins when… right, she did have a tail then, didn't she?

“Wouldn't it be better if I practiced… outside of the seal? Since that was when it happened?”

**“The seal is the closest you can get to my own chakra, which gives you the best opportunity to channel it. You can practice it outside of the seal after you master it, here.”**

She groaned, nodded, and got to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3 Date time
> 
> yall wondering if this is even a sasunaru story, well here you go my dudes.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stage 1: Obligatory Hotspring episode  
> Stage 2: Here comes--! That boy--! A challenger approaches!!! 
> 
> Hello everyone! I',m sorry that this chapter is a little bit late, I was at work all day Thursday and Friday and didn't have time to go through it. Uh, fun fact, I work at a retirement home. I'm sure you can imagine how that's going right about now.  
> I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy!! Just stay inside and read my stories all day lmao

The sun was rising.

It seemed as though she was in the seal… at least a day. Her body was aching, her head pounding, her bladder screaming, and… was it her, who smelled like sweat? Nasty.

She needed to get home.

The next morning, it was sunny. 

She figured she’d do some training with Kurama today. She parked herself down in her spare room (the one she had blocked out the window in and put down a nice, fluffy rug) for her training session. She sat and closed her eyes, recessing back into her seal in a matter of seconds. Kurama’s talon was scratching against the walls, making white-lines on the bricks.

“Are you… putting graffiti in your own seal?”

 **“It’s art,”** the fox commented lazily.

Naruto walked forward… ah, it was a picture of… a box? Or… it had a roof, so maybe it was a house? But the house didn’t stand on its legs…

**“It’s a shrine. I used to live there… before.”**

Naruto pursed her lips, standing up on her tippy-toes to get a better look, “do ya know if it’s still out there?” Since when was Kurama fond of volunteering information about his past? Usually, he only told her the bare minimum to understand what was going on.

He gave her a nonchalant look, **“Most likely, it is in ruin. Why?”** his eye slid towards her, accessing.

“Thought we could visit. Sometime.”

Kurama hummed, though she could _feel_ the swell of pride in his chest. **“Sometime. But not now… we must train.”**

“And what are we training in?”

**“I have a few things planned. But, for now, yang release.”**

Naruto groaned. She hated yang release… It was so… hard! And gross! And… ugh!!

**“That's because you have horrendous chakra control.”**

She stuck out her tongue, but her main focus was on challenging the proper chakra. Yang's release came from a very specific part of Kurama’s chakra- one that was especially difficult for her to access. She was extremely comfortable with the normal stuff, the acidic kind. That was the _fun_ kind, cause it could burn everything and soak into the ground and poison people…

**“Focus.”**

Her hands turned white- it looked almost as if flames were licking on her skin, shifting and morphing ever so slightly. It wasn't flame, but rather a dense layer of chakra that was caked just upon her skin, like a pair of gloves. 

She could feel the tendons and muscles tighten beneath it, growing stronger and stronger still. She wondered how long it would take for her hand to regenerate in this state… Normally, it took at least an hour for a finger to come back… though she never had the misfortune of losing something more substantial.

A whack against the head forced her to rekindle her focus, and she tried to pull the white-cloak up her hands and towards her elbows… it stretched in an unnatural way, which narrowed the cloak around her fingertips, pulling taunt. It managed to creep it’s way halfway up her forearm before it refused to budge any longer.

With a deep exhale, Naruto dropped the chakra, unable to hold on any longer.

**“Good. That was further than before.”**

“Yeah but not far enough. It’s supposed to cover my whole body, yeah?”

**“You’re a child.”**

“A genius child.”

Kurama snorted, tails flickering in amusement. Despite being in her seal, Naruto felt a wave of exhaustion begin creeping up on her. Maybe it’s because she was using a ton of Kurama’s reserves? She dramatically tumbled over on his arm and slid down to rest on his paw.

“What was the other thing you wanted to teach me?”

Kurama gave an annoyed grunt and rolled his arm, forcing her to move off of it. A tail cushioned her fall, and she latched on. **“Patience. It’s best if we work on one thing at a time.”**

“But what I'm really good at the other thing?"

Kurama snorted, **“You? Really good at something?’**

“It can happen. You never know…! Everyone had a hidden talent for something!”

He laughed, **“Not everyone.”**

She rolled over to face him, pouting, “ _everyone_.”

He rolled his eyes, scoffing, yet still snapping his fingers, **“Fine. We can start today. But afterward, you will resume your yang release practice.”**

She groaned, hissing, but nodded nonetheless. _”Stupid Kurama-sensei- slave driver!”_

The fox snorted, and a scroll appeared in a puff of smoke. Naruto scrambled over on her hands and knees to it, watching as Kurama undid the binding and allowed it to roll out.

It was huge.

Too huge. With little rectangles… empty… what were they for Why was it so big? The damned scroll was thicker than she was… and had nothing on it!

Several meters away, it stopped unrolling. Naruto blinked- was that a tiny bit of black ink, she saw? Excited, she ran over-

Oh.

Oh?  
Oh?!

 _Uchiha Madara,_ sprawled out in elegant, black kanji.

“What is this?” She asked, heart freezing.

**“My summoning contract.”**

“But…” She choked, remembering who exactly that name belonged to… and the stories that came with him. She shivered and felt a deep feeling of hatred coil up her gut. She'd never forgive him. She'd bever forgive such a horrible man like that.

The man who had first used his Sharingan on Kurama. The man who subjected him to torture, treating him as nothing more than a pet, a slave, a weapon. The one who had started it all in the first place… the man who had claimed the bijuu as his own.

Uchiha Madara.

The only person she had never met, but despised with all her being.

“Why is **_he_ **on here?” she spat.

Probably because the man forced Kurama to bring out his sealing contract with the Sharingan. Just another trick used to subjugate her best friend. Just another person after his power.

**“I was once foolish…”**

What?

She whipped around, pigtails slapping her in the face.

“What?”

Kurama sighed, heavily shifting into a sit.

**“I was young and foolish and believed words too good to be true. I wasn't always controlled by the Sharingan. But I was never truly considered an equal, like you do now. I thought I was.”**

“He turned on you.”

**“Then Hashirama followed. I also trusted that man.”**

Hashirama… 

She heard of him, too. But in a different way. A less hateful way. Still a bad way, but just… not _as_ bad.

Naruto thought for a long while, and it appeared in her hand. A little brush dripping with black ink. She leaned over…

And crossed out Madara's name. Then she went over it again and again until it was fully blocked out from the scroll as if it hadn't even been there in the first place.

Then, she wrote her own name. _Uzumaki Naruto._ She covered her fingertips in blood and laid them there, just as _he_ had. Then, she put a little smiley face in the corner, right where Kurama could see it.

“I think the first name to go on here deserves to be a good one. And all the names that follow after it.”

A tail brushed up against her back, she grabbed a handful of fur.

**“Get back to your yang release.”**

He didn’t say anything, but Naruto saw the little smile on his face.

* * *

The day had come and gone, and by the time Naruto had finished up with training, she had managed to shift the cloak all the way to her shoulders. It was a proud accomplishment, she thought. Tomorrow she’d have to start pulling it down to her stomach and up to her head… maybe at the same time. But she'd probably have to work up for it.

Now, though…

It was the morning. And it was time to reward herself-! She had trained hard and made some huge progress, both with herself and Gaara… and she deserved a break, goddammit! 

She bundled together some supplies in her favourite emerald backpack (the one that was so old she has to stitch a strap back together and put a patch on the front pocket,) and headed out. Just as she stepped out of her door, she crashed into someone.

“Hinata-chan?”

Indeed, the meek girl was standing just outside her door.

“U-uh…” Hinata shuffled on the spot awkwardly, “um, Naruto-chan…”

Naruto looked down at her hands, and saw… a clear bag. With some soap in it.

“What a coincidence…! I was just heading down to the bathhouse! To think you were, too!” Naruto laughed, “It’s just that kind of day, isn’t it?” The sky was cloudy and overcast, but not exactly cold like one would think/. Just… comfy. Naruto wanted to take a bath and then snuggle up with her favourite blanket, and, hopefully, a mini-Kurama… 

**_“No.”_ **

_“Yes.”_

Hinata sniffled.

“O-oh, um, no… I wasn't… um… I wanted to bring you these. I-I’ve been trying to make some, uh, herbal products, lately… and I thought… you could try them, as a t-thank you. For helping me with my fight.”

Naruto blinked, “Helping you?”

Hinata’s face went beet red, “When I was hurt…”

“The medics did all the helping, Hinata-chan! Really, you should be thanking them!”

“But-” Hinata grabbed Naruto’s sleeve and tugged anxiously at it, “You also… uh, cheered me on. It really helped me… uh, thank you, Naruto-chan!” she bowed and held the little wrapped bag to her friend, praying she would take it.

Naruto did.

“One condition,” she hummed, playfully twirling the cute purple ribbon which held the bag close. Hinata’s head whipped up. “You come to the bathhouse with me and try it out!”

Hinata’s nose started dripping blood.

Both girls blinked, staring at it in silence.

“A-are you okay?!” Naruto screeched, turning round and storming inside, “Uh- first aid kit!” she cried, rushing into her bathroom, “Where my first aid kit? Ah, fuck! Hinata’s dying!”

“I-I’m fine…” Hinata whispered.

Naruto ran into the kitchen and started looking in the cabinets.

“Naruto-chan, I’m fine…”

Naruto tore off her couch cushions.

“Naruto!”

She froze.

"Uh-” realizing that she had just screamed at her crush, Hinata's face went red, “Um… I’m fine… uh,” her face grew even redder, It just, uh, the summer air is so dry…”

“Oh! Okay!” Naruto grabbed a tissue and handed it to her, “You good to go, then?”

Hinata could only nod.

The trip to the baths was held in silence, but at some point, Hinata was going too slow and so Naruto grabbed onto her sleeve and started pulling her. The bathhouse she picked was surprisingly empty for how great a day it was to take a bath… or… was Naruto the only one who thought today was good for hot springs?

Did everyone go when it was sunny? But… Why go to a _hot_ bath when it is _hot_ outside? When it was hot outside… you should go to the ocean or something.

“Hinata-chan, we should go to the ocean,” she quipped, moving into the dressing room.

“Huh?”

“During the summer-! We need to get everyone together, all of us rookies who went to the academy together, and maybe Lee’s team too, and we should go to the beach! And have ice cream, and swim, and… what else do people do at the beach?”

Hinata blushed and started moving towards the individual changing stalls, a towel in hand, “Build sandcastles?”

Naruto snapped, "Build sandcastles!"

The door clicked shut, and because nobody else was in the change room, so Naruto stripped without hesitation. She wasn’t too shy, except for her stomach… not cause she was fat (she had abs, yall!) but because of her seal. Since she was always using Kurama’s chakra, her seal had kind of just… started hanging around, like, all the time. It didn't use to do that, but ever since they started doing yang releases…

Hinata exited the changeroom just as Naruto wrapped the towel around her body, hiding it away. The Hyuuga’s face was all red.

“Do you have a fever or something? Cause you’ll faint in the bath if you have one,” she pointed out.

Hinata just shook her head, “N-no… uh…” she waddled over to her, hands not leaving her towel, “I’m, uh, just nervous…”

“Oh!” Naruto gave her a cheeky grin, “You’re an heiress! You’ve probably never been in a public hot spring before!”

Hinata’s face grew to a deep shade of red, and she just gave a silent nod.

Naruto leaned in close, whispering, “If it makes you feel any better, I’ve never been to one, neither.”

Not with another person, at least. Usually, when she tried to go to them, the other patrons would leave as soon as she showed her face. That's why she went in the middle of the day isn't of at night, cause there were fewer people in the pools.

Hinata gave a weak squeak but nodded. “Um… should we go in?’

“Sure.”

Hinata was gentle when sliding into the water; Naruto did a huge cannonball, splashing the other girl and getting the men on the other side of the wall to yell at them. They both giggled, racing to the far side of the pool.

They didn't speak- Naruto leaned heavily against the smoothed rocks on the edges of the pool, and Hinata hummed a little tune from a few meters down, in the deeper section. Naruto closed her eyes and sighed when had she last been this relaxed? Lately, everything has been so… crazy… with Wave, and the Chunin Exams… and that stupid snake-guy.

What did he even want with Sasuke, anyway? Why Sasuke? Because he was an Uchiha? What was it about his stupid eyes that made every single person in the world swoon for him? It was really starting to get annoying... but also, she would crush the skulls of anyone who tried to take his eyes- or something.

She shifted in the water, sitting up. “Hey, Hinata?”

The girl whipped around, eyes wide, face red. What was with that? Surely, she was sick, or… maybe the water was too hot?

Then again, Hinata was, like, super pale… so maybe any sort of flush was extra-noticeable? That had to suck, cause then everyone knew when you were embarrassed.

“Have you ever had a crush on someone?”

Hinata fell into the water.

Naruto’s own face felt hot- it had to be because of the hot spring. 

When the other girl came up, Naruto was awkwardly laughing. 

“Naruto-chan…” Hinata poked her finger together, looking away, “Um… yes, yes I have.”

“What's it like?”

Naruto locked herself away, thinking of all the people in her life… Hinata, Sasuke, Sakura… they were her only friends, really. The other rookies, maybe… but, she didn't know of them like she knew those three. It was different.

Her heart started thumping, and her memories jumped back to a few days previous…

Hinata…

She clicked her tongue, and Hinata jolted.

“W-well… my heart always beats really fast, when they're near… and… my face goes… um… red.”

“But your face is always red?” Naruto giggled. “You must have a crush on _everyone_ ~”

Hinata chuckled, too, “Not really… o-only, um… when _they’re_ around.”

Only when they’re around… a fast heartbeat, a red face…

But Naruto could only think of two different people who made that happen to her… herself and... her father. And Naruto didn't think that Hinata liked... her... father...

Oh.

“I don't understand any of this crap!” She hissed, rubbing at her hair- it was down and so her ends were soaked through. She didn’t care, “I’m just not good at being a girl, I guess…”

She was just going to pretend she hadn't thought _that_ sentence through.

Considering… her eyes flickered over to Hinata. What was that, anyway? Liking another girl? That had to be, like, really weird. Cause Naruto had only ever heard of girls marrying boys.

“D-don’t say things like that!” Hinata stammered, splashing around in the water a little bit. Naruto blinked. “U-uh! I mean… just… there are lots of, um, different types of people. Just because… you’re not like everyone else, doesn't mean you’re, um, not… good.”

“You think I’m good?” Naruto asked, her foxy grin hiding the sudden bloom of heat to her cheeks, “really?”

Hinata froze- looking at her own reflection in the water. Her face was so red Naruto was almost scared she would faint.

Then, she nodded.

“I think you’re good, too, Hinata-chan.”

Then, Hinata really did faint.

Naruto rushed forward, managing to catch the poor girl before her head was completely dunked under the water. She brought her out to the side of the bath and laid her head on a folded towel.

“Hinata-chan…?”

_“Oh! This gives me a great idea for my next book!”_

Naruto blinked.

Was that… whispering?

There was also a scratching sound, like… pencil against paper. She stood up, forcing chakra to her ears to hear it better. Her towel slipped as she stalked forward- and immediately she heard a giggle.

“The fuck?” She hissed, marching over to where it was coming from- the bamboo wall of the bath… where there, conveniently (suspiciously), was a little hole between the two bamboo stalks. An eye met her own. An eye... through the hole... of a bath-house wall.

...

Holy shit!

_Some pervert had been spying on them in the bath!_

“W-were minors!” She screeched, humiliated and pissed and... and basically, like, every negative emotion to ever exist!

The guy on the other side screamed at being caught- and Naruto was immediately on the move. She ran to the side to grab one of the complimentary robes and quickly shrugged it on, covering her enough so that she’d be able to kick-ass without worry. Then, she literally ran up the wall using chakra and reigned hell down upon whoever the fuck the creep was-!

Some white-haired dude.

He dodged the shurikens she threw. Then rolled, launching himself in a run. But Naruto was quick, pushing chakra into her feet so that he could dash up right beside him, ad throw herself forward in a flying kick- it hit the back of his head and he went flying. His face smeared across the dirt like a split can on paint, and Naruto revelled at the dirt marring his stupid, old, and warty face

“Who the fuck are you?!” She hissed, running forward and slamming her foot down on his back, cutting off an escape, “How long were you looking at us, you sick fuck? We're minors! I’ll tear you to shreds!”

A surrender flag popped up out of nowhere, and waved around in his hands, “I assure you, miss, I was just doing… research!”

Research? Naruto sucked an enraged breath through her nostrils, “For what?”

“My novel!”

“Ugh, nasty!” She lifted her foot, not wanting to even touch such a dirty old creep with the bottom of her shoes, “It’s probably some porn novel!”

He sat up and gave her a thumbs-up, “That's exactly what it is!”

“You’re a pervert!”

“No…!” A look of offence crossed his face for a split second, before he gave her a _double_ thumbs-up, and stuck his tongue out, “I’m a _huge_ pervert!”  
“And _I’m_ thirteen!” She gagged. “You’re a pedophile, that's what you are!”

By now, several bystanders were looking at them, gross-look on their faces. The man hurriedly stood up and clamped a hand over her mouth. Naruto was seething.

“Get off!” She hissed, pushing him away.

“Stop shouting!” The man hissed back, “You’re going to get me arrested!”

“Yeah, because what you were doing is _illegal!_ ”

“You’re a shinobi, right?”

Naruto’s eyes narrowed, but she nodded.

The man started once again, “Then that makes you legal, kid. If you’re old enough to kill, then…”

She slammed her foot down on his skull and started storming away. “If I see you peeking here again then you’re dead! And know this, Uzumaki Naruto never breaks a promise!”

The old man said something, but she didn't even bother listening- she didn’t have time for all this crap! She had to look after Hinata-chan, thank you very much. But, by the time she got back to the bath, Hinata was already standing. Her face was still red and she was holding the wall for balance, but at least she wasn't, like, dead, or comatose, or something.

“Hinata-chan, are you okay?”

“U-um… I think the heat just got to me,” she muttered. “What happened? Why did you run off?”

Naruto blanched, “Some pervert had been peeking into the bath. I kicked his ass.”

Hinata fell over- Naruto caught her time, thankfully. And luckily, she didn’t faint again. She helped the girl back to the changing rooms and sat her down on one of the benches in the private changing room, bringing Hinata her clothes.

“Get changed. I’ll go grab some water.”

Naruto quickly slipped on her orange track-jacket and some biker shorts before moving to the street outside the onsen; a lot of street vendors liked to set up shop here, for when people were finished their baths and looking for a treat. She quickly bought some rice balls and water.

By the time she got back, Hinata was changed and drying her hair. “Here,” Naruto handed her the refreshments and the two of them took a minute to eat.

“Feeling better?”

Hinata nodded. “I… um, maybe I should go home and lay down?”

Naruto kicked out her legs and jumped to her feet, “Yeah, sure! It’s been an exciting day, huh?”

Hinata laughed, nodding, “T-that's one way of putting it.”

They stepped outside.

And found the perverted-old-man standing there.

Naruto bristled, “That's him,” she said to Hinata- whose face was already turning red again, “Uh, why don’t you go home, Hinata-chan? I don’t want you to faint again… I can take care of this trash.”

Hinata stumbled away and Naruto faced off against the man.

“What did I say?”

He held up his hands, “I’m not peeking!” He laughed, “I’m just standing here!”

“Outside of a women's bath. The _women's_ _bath_ you were _just_ looking in! What- you trying to get to Hinata-chan, or something? Cause I won’t let you!”

“No, no! Actually,” the man hopped around a little in a really weird way, “I was looking for _you._ Uzumaki Naruto, right?”

Naruto raised an eyebrow, “Yeah, that's me.”

“I’m-” the man continued with his hopping, gong in a circle, doing jazz hands- boy, was he some kind of freak, or what? Strangely, the kind of reminded her of Orochi-freak, in that they were both unparalleled freaks.

A frog popped out of nowhere. Naruto nearly screamed.

“I am the Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku, and one of the three legendary sannin of Konoha!” the man proclaimed, hopping around on his frog, “I am known as Lord Jiraiya, the Toad Sage!”

He stopped and did some kind of pose. Naruto gave him a thumbs-down.

“What?”

He threw up his hands, “Weren't you listening? I am one of the Legendary Sannin, I'm considered the lord of-"

“Who?” Naruto snorted, “The pervert committee?”

“Yes! Er- no, not in this case!” The man bristled, his frog disappearing in a gust of smoke (was that summoning technique?), “The Hokage, kid! I’m one of Sarutobi’s students.”

Jiji’s student?

Naruto rubbed her chin, “you must be some kind of… liar!” she stuck out her tongue, “did you really expect me to believe that?! Jiji has _never_ mentioned having students before… and I really doubt that his _real_ students would be such… perverts! You're just trying to trick me!”

What was that called again…? Child… brushing? Ah, grooming? something like that.

(Kurama shifted in the seal- she had to nudge him away before he ripped himself out and killed the man.)

 _"Go back to lseep, you grumpy old fox."_ All the Yang-release was starting to tire him out, and he had pratclly been in a coma.

N- way-Jose would let him do that to her! She was strong and smart! She wouldn't fall for such stupid _traps_! She was Uzumaki Naruto and she didn't need any stupid man.

The man groaned. “I’m here on the old man’s favour, kid. He wants me to train you for your fight in the Chunin Exams.”

That piqued her interest…

No! No child brushing! She wouldn't allow it!

“I won't let you trick me,” she huffed, running around to stomp away, “You stupid… pervert-guy!”

“Lord Jiraiya the Toad Sage!” he hissed back at her, following behind, “I’m not here cause I wanna be, kid. It’s a favour. Now, play along so I can get back to my research!”

She turned around and stuck out her tongue, “Get lost! Pervy sage!”

“Don't call me that in public!” Pervy Sage whisper-shouted, leaning in. Ew, she could smell the sake on his breath… was he drunk? “What can I do to convince you, kid?”

“Nothing,” she retorted, hands on her hips, “I won't fall for your trap!”

He groaned, “It'’s not a trap! Just…” He scratched at his hair, “Come one!”

“Wha-”  
His hands grabbed her shoulders and just as she was about to scream and kick and bite and maybe even launch a Bijuu-Dama at the old fart- they were swimming around in a puff of smoke. Her eyes whited out for a second, and when she finally regained her senses she was standing straight in the middle of the Hokage's office. Wait- they travelled all across the village that fast?!

Jiji stood up, eyes wide at the sudden intrusion, “Jiraiya! What are you doing!”

The hand immediately left her shoulders and she promptly fell on her butt.

“He just kidnapped me!” She screamed, pointing in accusation at the man.

Sarutobi whirled on Jiraiya, “Explain!”

“The kid wouldn't believe anything I was saying, so I just brought her here… so that you could convince her that I’m telling the truth,” Pervy Sage argued, huffing, before turning to her and gesturing wildly with his hands, “I obviously know the Hokage, kid. Do you believe me _now_?”

She sent Jiji a look. He sighed, sat down, and nodded, rubbing at his temples, “Jiraiya here is one of my students… I asked for his assistance in training you.”

Oh, fuck. He _was_ telling the truth.

Naruto shot to her feet, “That… that doesn't excuse him!” she screamed, rubbing forward and slamming her hands on the desk, “Jiji- I caught him peeking on-”

Hands suddenly covered her mouth, muffling her next couple of words. She screamed and bit them. Jiraiya hissed and pulled away, glaring at her while leaning in, “Not a _word,_ ” he hissed right into her ear, “Do you want to be my student, or not?”

She turned and raised an eyebrow… he was a student of Jiji, heh? Then he probably knew... 

“Depends. You know sealing?”

The man grinned, “I’m considered a _master_ ,” he smugly said, crossing his arms.

He could be lying.

But… he wasn’t lying about being Jiji’s student… and… he admitted to being a ‘huge pervert’ when she accused him, so, maybe he was telling the truth? What use would there be to lie anyways? And in front of the Hokage? Sarutobi would probably correct him if he was lying, then.

Naruto knew next to nothing about sealing, just because there was so little public knowledge about it. But, if she were to become the student of a sealing ‘master’, then maybe… just maybe, she and Kurama could make their crazy idea into a reality. She had made a promise to the fox, after all, and Uzumaki Naruto kept her promises.

She shook his hand. “Deal.”

Jiji looked between the two of them, “I feel I just missed something important,” he sighed, rubbing at his forehead, “Leave, both of you. You need all the time you can get to prepare for your fight, Naruto.”

“Kay.”

She followed the huge pervert out of the office, a smug grin slipping onto her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone questions why Jiraiya was perving on Naruto... remember that he also perved on canon Nautto when he had transformed using the Ero-JUtsu.  
> Y'know  
> He thought that thirteen-year-old-boy pretending to be a girl was hot...  
> I don't think he's above perving on an actually female Naruto. Thanks.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! I know it's Saturday again, but... um, I was thinking of moving mu update day to Saturday instead of Friday. For whatever reason, my bosses (ah- new bosses, since my old manager was fired a few weeks ago) have decided that they love it when I work Friday, which makes it harder for me to update this fic!!   
> So I'm going to start posting on Saturday! Thanks for hanging in with me, everyone! :)

They started training the next day. Or, well, they were going to start, eventually. The stupid pervert was busy ogling at the girls who just so happened to be splashing around in the river right beside where they had set up camp.

“Hey, pervert! The deals off if you spend the whole time staring at girls!”

Pervy Sage turned around, looking none-too-impressed with her, “This is why I never take on female students…” he sighed, rubbing his face, “They don't understand the wonders of the female body.”

Hinata popped into her mind-

“You’re disgusting!” Naruto shrieked. 

“Fine, fine, I’m  _ disgusting, _ ” Jiraiya waddled over to her, flapping his hands in an exaggerated fashion, “You’ve ruined the mood, anyway, kid, so I guess we can start training.”

Naruto was so giddy she could barely stand still.

“Alright, so where are you in your training?”

She froze, “Uh…” She  _ shouldn’t  _ mention her secret Jinchuuriki training, right? That seemed like a no-no. The Pervy Sage gave her a weird look at her hesitation and she just shrugged, “I don’t really know? I mean, it’s not like I know what Kaka-sensei wanted to teach me next.”

“Right… right… you have  _ him  _ as a teacher. Got it. Okay, what's the last Jacquie you learned?”

What was with that reaction…? Was there something wrong with having Kaka-sensei as her teacher? The loyalty in Naruto began to sharpen, readying for attack-

“Tree walking, I guess.”

She stuffed it down.

“Really? That's it?”

And, immediately. it began to resurface. Boy, was Pervy Sage hard to work with.

Naruto shrugged, “Kaka-sensei kind of focused more on Sasuke and Sakura, so I taught myself some stuff.”

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, “Like what?”

Ah, and she just performed the one no-no.

Naruto pursed her lips, “Chakra channelling, and stuff,” it wasn't a lie, per se… 

“And stuff,” Jiraiya snorted. “Can you walk on water?” he asked, tilting his head towards the river beside them. 

“Walk on water?” 

People could do that?

She tentatively moved over to the river, watching the small current of the water carefully. 

“It’s similar to the tree-walking exercise, only you have to continuously adjust the flow of chakra in your feet to match the current of the water.”

Naruto scratched the back of her head, she could do that, right? She had to do worse chakra-channelling in order to perform yang release, so… this should be a piece of cake! Her chakra control kind of sucked… but it was getting better! Each and every day! It was just because she had such big reserves, after all… 

She channelled a flowy-chakra cloak to the bottom of her feet and stepped onto the water, carefully, testing it out with only a single foot. It sank in a few inches, leaving the bottom of her foot to get all wet and chilly… but it didn’t immediately fall through and drown her ankle, which she counted as a success!

She pulled the foot out and tried again, closing her eyes to concentrate.

“This sucks,” she mumbled, sitting down.

“Giving up already?”

“No!” She hissed, turning to stick her tongue out at the pervert, “Just taking off my shoes.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“How am I supposed to feel the flow of the water if I’m wearing shoes?”

Jiraiya snorted, “I guess you’re not, kid. But most shinobi keep their shoes  _ on  _ when walking on water.”

“I’ll… I’ll work up to that! Give me a break- I’m still learning!”

The Pervy Sage went silent as she finished undoing her sandals and once more pressed her foot onto the water. It was chilly to the touch, but nothing unbearable. And, the foot managed to stay at the surface of the water, thanks to the extra sensing of the current.

“See?” She snarked, turning to glare at her teacher, “It helped.”

“You still only have one foot on the river,” he retorted- though she thought, maybe, she detected a small bit of awe.

“I’m getting there!” She huffed but still moved her other foot tentatively onto the water at the urge. It stuck- but in return, both of her feet sunk a few inches into the water. 

“This sucks,” she muttered, adjusting her balance and managing to put her right foot back on the surface- but then the left one just sunk further in! Her pants were getting wet! She adjusted her chakra and damn, it was taking a lot of her concentration to keep different flows of chakra to each of her feet…

She didn't have good enough chakra control for this!

“Start taking a few steps,” Pervy Sage said lightly, “You’re doing well. Go on.”

She growled but did as instructed. Her feet wobbled between staying on the surface and sinking in slightly, but she otherwise was doing pretty well. Or, well, she wasn’t drenched, which she quickly labelled as a good thing.

“I’m bored,” she said after walking around in a few circles, “Can we do something cool, now?”

The Pervy Sage chuckled, but nodded, “Seems like you have a good enough grasp on it. Funny, I thought you had bad chakra control.”

She snorted, “I do. I’m just getting better.”

“Tell me about that,” Jiraiya said, eyes twinkling. Naruto suddenly felt a waterfall of dread in her stomach- she wanted to puke it all out and run away forever, “you chakra. I heard you ran quite the show during the preliminary matches.”

Of course. Everything seemed to drawback to the Kyuubi.

She shrugged, walking over to the shore and toeing her sandals back on, “Something I picked up,” she slyly said, “I’m assuming Kaka-sensei told everyone about it?”

Jiraiya nodded, not saying a word.

“Then I can also assume that I don't need to tiptoe around the subject?”  
Jiraiya nodded, his face turning grim and dark.

“I told Kaka-sensei already, but I guess I can say it again. Me and my team were attacked during the Forest of Death, and y’know,whenever I’m gonna die I unconsciously tap into Kyuubi chakra. I did it during a mission in Wave, too. I guess I just got a better grasp of it, or something, so that I could manipulate it better during my fight in the preliminaries. That's it.”

“That's it, huh?”

She stared at him.

“Cause it sounds like there's more than just that. I knew the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki before you, Naruto, and she couldn't do anything like that.”

Naruto stretched.

“Who was the Jinchuuriki before me?” She wasn't sure exactly which of the two she was asking- but she wanted answers.

Kurama stayed silent. Jiraiya looked away.

“You won't tell me? Fine. I guess she just wasn’t as cool as me, then,” Naruto snorted.

Jiraiya gave her a  _ real  _ strange look- like, creepily strange. And weird. She was starting to sweat.

Kurama shifted,  **_“I have some things to tell you about her kit.”_ **

_ “... Like what?” _

**_“This isn’t the time.”_ **

Naruto growled at him,  _ “It  _ **_never_ ** _ seems like the time, Kurama.”  _ she snarked. She loved him- but boy, it was starting to get a  _ little  _ bit frustrating always being left in the dark like that. She knew it had a reason, but… she was getting older, and stronger, and… she wanted to know!

She  _ needed  _ to know.

**_“...”_ **

“What do you want from me?” she finally said aloud, turning back to Jiraiya, the frustration of dealing with Kurama leaking into her voice.

Jiraiya looked grim, “I’m here to teach you to better control the Kyuubi.”

She should have known.

_ She should have known. _

Because what else was she good for? What  _ other  _ reason did anyone have to actually want to train  _ her _ ?  **_Her?_ ** Not Sasuke ‘the last Uchiha’, the genius… or Sakura, with her brains or perfect chakra control. Not Hinata, the Hyuuga Heiress. Not Lee with his fancy Taijutsu or Ino with her weird mind-trick or Kiba and his dog.

But her?

Because, really, what did she have, other than being a Jinchuuriki?

That was all she was. To herself. To the others. To Kurama. To her teacher. To everyone else in the entire world. All she would ever be was a Jinchuuriki. She wasn't a clan heir like the majority of her class was- hell, she wasn't even in a clan, to begin with. She had no Kekkai Genkai or special skills. She wasn't inherently talented in anything but large chakra reserves. 

She was a Jinchuuriki. That was it. That was her value in life- or, no, that was simply her value to _Konoha._

She wanted to be more than that.

She threw up her hands, “of course you are! I should have guessed!” She started storming off, “That's what everyone wants, huh? To make me into some kind of weapon? Yeah, well, no thanks! I’ll pass!”

“Naruto-”

She was already gone, tapping into Kurama’s chakra to give her a helpful speed-boost. But it  _ wasn't helping- _ she could hear Jiraiya after her, faster than she thought he'd be. Maybe she shouldn’t have written off his title so easily…

She stomped hard, breaking the branch under her and quickly hopping away, forcing Jiraiya to find another path rather than just following her head-on.

Maybe if she got back to the village… it wasn't like he could do anything to her in a public place, right? What could he do even now? He couldn’t attack her to arrest her... ! She was a Konoha shinobi, goddammit! Not some common criminal!

Turns out the path Jiraiya found was a shortcut; he was gaining on her, and fast. She tried to up the ante, but he only quickly his own pace, and sure enough, he was gaining on her.

Would it be okay to attack him? The same argument could be made that  _ he  _ was a Konoha shinobi…

No time to think- he practically tackled her, and the two of them crashed to the forest floor. Naruto’s head must have thanked against a tree root, or something, because her vision went all hazy, and the next thing she knew, the man was fretting over her. Her stomach felt tight. Did… Did she sense chakra coming from him? No… the sensation was already gone- she must have imagined it.

“Fuck! I can't believe I just-! Hey, you with me, kid?” He started shaking her. She groaned.

“Are you trying to kill me?” She screamed, rolling away from him. Her fingers immediately popped to the sore spot on her head… and, oh fuck, they came back wet, "All I do is reject your training, which I think I have a right to do… and you crack my skull open?!”

If she was a normal person, then she could have just  _ died _ ! Like that! Before doing any of the things she wanted to in life!

She growled when he came closer to her, “Back off, buddy! I don’t wanna be your weapon, so just drop it!”

“I’m not trying to make you a weapon,” Jiraiya hissed, rustling around in his pack, “Here, let me patch you up-” he reached out for her with a roll of bandages, but she quickly smacked his hand away.

“I think you’ve done enough to me, for one day. Besides, I don’t need any medical treatment.”

She could see a thin veil of smoke coming from her head- the wound was already searing shut and the pain ebbing away, thanks to Kurama. She rubbed away the blood with her sleeve and poked at the skin, content that it was melded back together.

“This is what I'm talking about-” Pervy sage gestures wildly to her head, “I think you have the wrong idea, kid. I’m not trying to make you a weapon… I’m just trying to help you utilize something very powerful.”

She snorted, shuffling away from him- now that the pain of her head was gone, her ankle was starting to hurt. She poked it and hissed, it was swelling up real good, like a balloon, or something.

**_“It’s broken, kit. I just need a few minutes…”_ **

Broken? Fuck. How was she supposed to run away with a broken foot?

“I think ‘utilizing something power’ is the exact definition of making something your  _ weapon.  _ I ain’t letting you make me a weapon any more then I’m gonna make the Kyuubi a weapon.”

Jiraiya sat back on his haunches, frowning, “why?”

She looked away from the man, frowning herself, “because nobody deserves that. Not even demons.”

That had been her philosophy ever since she was a mere child; everyone deserves to be treated like a person, no matter who they are or what they have done.

Jiraiya looked at her for a long time. Finally, he sighed and rubbed his head, “Well, if that's how you feel, kid…” He looked away, considering something, “You still want to learn sealing?”

She nodded, heart thumping. 

“Then I’m still willing to teach you,” he sighed at her dubious look, “No Kyuubi stuff. I promise. Unless you change your mind.” He offered a hand.

“No Kyuubi stuff,” she didn’t budge on that matter, but still reached out to take his hand, accepting the deal.

Jiraiya stood up, groaning a little as he did, and Naruto swore she heard his bones creek. She laughed.

“What do you say we grab something to eat then get back to it? We can start with simple sealing arrays.”

“Uh, can you give me a minute? My feet are broken.”

“...” 

* * *

Thankfully, sealing did seem to require a whole lot of movement. Her foot was on the mend as she ate, eating the dumplings Jiraiya had delivered to her as she stared at the books in front of her.

They were boring.

But also interesting.

The sealing arts were very unique, and something Naruto found she was actually kind of…. Good at. Well, seals were basically drawings… and she was already pretty alright at drawing, so… yeah, she kind of had a natural affinity for it.

Seals started off as a basic shape (usually a circle) which was made up of special characters (Jiraiya called them runes), and when chakra mixed with those runes, they did different things. Basic sealing arts dealt with paper and ink, while the more advanced seals slowly tampered away from that… like, her seal was created by putting the ink directly on the flesh, and then melding it into the person’s body using chakra, thus making her… the paper. Which was weird. But also, like, kind of cool.

Then, sealing masters could actually make physical runes  _ out of chakra,  _ but that required a ton of chakra and a complete mastery of sealing arts.

For now, she was making some sealing scrolls.

Jiraiya pointed at her rune of the pocket dimension, "That's wrong,” he said, flipping through the book and pointing at the correct rune and picking up a brush,“here, do it more like this…” 

For such a weird, wacky guy, he certainly had a sense of grace with a brush. His character were so smooth and perfect… and, oh my god, Naruto couldn't believe she was actually admiring the stupid pervert that  _ broke her foot _ !

“I got it!” She hissed, pushing his hands away, “Ya gotta let me do it, myself!”

Jiraiya sat back on his haunches and watched as she worked. Naruto poked her tongue out and tried her best to copy the seal- but the ink was getting al, over her hands, and stuff! It was distracting!

“Why do you want to learn sealing arts, anyways, kid?”

Speaking of distractions…

She set down her brush, annoyed, and started flipping through the books again- oh, explosive tags were sealing stuff! Cool! She would explore the whole world, with this power! Hehe. Not really.

“Ummm… just cause…” she flipped to another page, one with elemental-stuff on it, “Well, when I learned about the Kyuubi seal… I dunno, I just thought it was cool. Drawing and stuff is something I like, and… I dunno, I think it’s cool that just ink and kanji can be so powerful.”

Not entirely a lie. She  _ did  _ think sealing was cool- she just… barely knew anything about it.

“Why's it so secretive, anyways? I mean, like, we never learned anything about sealing at the academy, and there are no books on it at the library…”

“Well,” Jiraiya rubbed his chin, “You’re right, sealing is a very powerful art… and because of that, Konoha has to keep it’s sealing techniques secret. If they were public knowledge that just about anyone could get, then it could be used against us.”

Hmmm….

That kind of sounded like the Jinchuuriki argument. Jinchuuriki were considered more so weapons of the village rather than shinobi, and their identities were kept secret because of that. Anybody could steal a weapon. It was a lot harder to get a person to deflect.

She didn't like that argument.

Cause she wasn’t a weapon. 

And she knew the village wasn’t somewhere she could stay, forever.

“Well, okay,” she finally said, picking up the brush and writing down the runes once again- this time, she didn't do it correctly! “As long as I’m learning, now.”

“That you are,” Jiraiya laughed, “by the time I’m through with you, you’ll be Konoha’s next sealing master.”

“I better be,” she barked out in a laugh.

She had to release the Kyuubi no Kitsune, after all.

* * *

Back at home, she was training more with Kurama… and, for once, they weren't in the seal. They had a few things to go over in the real world, for once.

Naruto wandered around her little training room, putting up little slips of paper. They were a new type of seal that Jiraiya had taught her- one that would seal off the room and stop anyone outside of it from feeling what was happening inside… which was really useful, considering how she usually mucked around with demonical chakra, in here.

She pulsed Kurama’s chakra as it flooded her system, closing her eyes. She tried to think back to the Forest of Death… to the sensation she had while fighting Orochi-freak….

She felt it building up. It was slow, weak, nothing like it was then… but, the sensation was still the same. The mounting feeling of power, low in her stomach… the bubbling chakra in her veins, building, building- she channelled it… 

Chakra became physical- and she felt the tail swishing behind her. Just like before. 

It knocked over one of her plants. She scrambled, racing to catch it- only to trip on the limb and fall flat on her face, the top of her head screeching against the wall. Her spare room was barely big enough for what little furniture she had in here… let alone a prancing Naruto and an out of control tail!

Another plant became a casualty. 

Then the tail whacked her forehead, and she had to grab it with her hands just to stop it from destroying anything else. Bt, like the little eel it was, it tried to slip from her grasp and kill her poor pansies- but she wouldn't let it. She tackled her own tail to the floor-

And only then realized Kurama was laughing.

_ “You’re doing this, aren't you?!” _

The laughing continued, ignoring her completely. Naruto bit back a scream and went through the hand-seals she only vaguely remembered to order of-

“Summoning jutsu!”

The puff of smoke enveloped her entire room, and only at that second Naruto thought that, just maybe, summoning the Kyuubi no Kitsune, so that she could beat his ass, in her tiny apartment wasn't a good idea. Worth it, but not a good idea. But when had Naruto ever been full of good ideas?

The smoke disappeared.

Kurama was going to beat  _ her  _ ass- she still thought it was worth it.

Because he was tiny. Like Shukaku had been, in Gaara’s seal. Only, like ten million times cuter! She squealed in absolute joy and launched herself at the fox, wrapping her arms around him just as he struck out like a cat, clawing at every inch of skin he could find. She didn't care, even as her face was all scratched up (it healed within seconds, anyway.) She just wanted to hold on to little baby Kurama before he poofed out of existence from her life forever. 

Finally, the fox had enough- kicking off her face and jumping away, and slamming to the ground just as Naruto tipped over and fell.

“You're so rude-!” She pouted, landing on her ass, “How could something so cute be so mean?”

Kurama’s fur was all puffed up like an angry cat, but even so, he was as cute as she always thought a mini-him would be. She wanted him to always be like this! Then he could ride around on her head like Kiba's dog did. That would be, like, totally awesome! Kiba would get so jealous, she thought. And that would be great since the stupid dog-breath had always been such a pain in her ass.

**“I never gave you permission to summon me, and especially not like… this!”**

Naruto fell back onto her stomach as Kurama pounced on her chest, but she just laughed, “You knew what you were getting into when you taught me how to summon you, Kurama. Besides, I like you like this! You’re super cute!” She reached up to pet him, but he swatted her hand away like a cat. “What are you so little, anyway?”

Kurama huffed,  **“You didn’t have the necessary output of chakra to summon me at my full form. In fact, I don’t think you used any of my chakra while summoning me at all. It’s only natural that you wouldn't be able to recreate me, at my strongest. So this is the form I was able to inhabit form the small amount of chakra you used."**

“So if I used your chakra to summon you… would you be super huge?”

Kurama nodded, sighing. He jumped off her chest and walked over to the fluffy meditation-carpet, sitting down.  **“At least a good lesson was learned from this horrible attempt at summoning."**

Naruto groaned and pulled herself to sit up, “And what's that?" And since when had Kurama ever been the type to look on the bright side of things, anyway?  
**“If you ever summon me like this again… I will kill you.”**

Ah, there was the Kurama she knew and loved. She laughed. Kurama growled but didn’t pounce on her again, thankfully.

**“Let's try again with the tail… then, more yang release.”**

Naruto groaned but pushed herself to her feet.

* * *

There was a week left until the finals.

Naruto was training in yang release when she heard a knock at the door- strange, considering how she never got many visitors. Maybe it was Hinata-chan, again? Wanting to go take another bath? Or… maybe not, because that had been a bit of a disaster… and she hadn't even seen the Hyuuga heir since! Maybe she was mad at her? Naruto wasn't sure what to do. She was thinking about visiting the Hyuuga compound but knew that Hinata's father was a bit of an ass and probably wouldn't take too well to Naruto sniffing around his house.

She opened her training room and stalked over to the door. Maybe it was Sakura, or Iruka-sensei or Kakashi-sensei… maybe one of them wanted to take her to ramen?! Or maybe it was the stupid Pervy Sage, here to teach her another seal.

She looked through the peep-hole…

And it turned out to be none of those people. None of the people she would ever reasonably believe would be willing to come over to her home to see her…

Instead, it was the biggest bastard of Konoha- Uchiha Sasuke. She swung open the door with a lifted brow and a curious glint in her eyes.

“Ya want something? Kakashi ain't here.”

The Uchiha huffed, half-slouched with his hands in his pockets, “Dobe,” he sniffed, “I wasn't looking for Kakashi.”

“Well I don’t see any other reason for you to come here… unless we got assigned to a mission? Which would be really weird cause we're kinda in the middle of the Chunin exams…”

Sasuke glared at her, “We weren't assigned any mission.”

She glared right back, “Then what are you here for? A fight?”

“Am I not allowed to come see my teammate?”

Whoa, he sounded real angry. Naruto stiffed, her hands tightening their grip on the door.

“No. I just wouldn't expect someone like you to actually do it.”

Sasuke looked away… were his cheeks flushing? Was he embarrassed? No way. The Uchiha Sasuke, the coldest heart of Konoha: embarrassed? Impossible. It was easier to believe that he was sick… or that it was a blush of… rage, or something. That's it. He was just mad at her. That was way easier for her to swallow.

“Someone like _me_?” Sasuke asked, a frown on his face.

Naruto shrugged, “Yer not too social, y’know.”

He snorted, "Yeah, and neither are you.”

“Hey! I…” she bawled her hands into fists, “At least I _try_ to be! I have friends!”

“Your genin team and a demon.”

She crossed her arms, “A friend is a friend. besides, I'm friends with Hinata and Iruka-sensei, too."

“Yeah, I guess you are, huh?” he suddenly agreed as if he had never thought about Naruto's other friendships before, “Whatever. Come on.”

He started walking away and she raised an eyebrow, “Hey, bastard, you haven't even told me what's going on.”

“Ramen. My treat.”

She blinked. Her hands fumbled on her keys as she closed the door behind her and took off after Sasuke.

“What's with this, all of a sudden?”

Sasuke shrugged, “A friend is a friend," he mocked. 

“Okay- uh, quick question: how do you dispel genjutsu, again?”

Sasuke made a tiger seal and flexed his chakra, "You say Kai," he instructed.

“Kai!” Naruto said- following in his example. He gave her a weird look, and she blinked rapidly and tried it once more.... but nothing changed.

“W-wait, this isn't some kind of genjutsu, then? Or is it genjutsu?! Or is this some kind of… trick?”

“What are you talking about, dobe?” Sasuke snapped.

“You…!” She pointed a finger right at him and screened, “There's no way you’re really Sasuke!”

His fist flew and knocked her over the head- and just who the hell was this jokester? Now he was pretending to be Sakura?! Did he think he could fool her that easily?! She was a ninja! She knew her teammates pretty damn well, thank you very much. She knew Sasuke well enough to know what he would _never_ just go all out and openly admit that they were friends that like!

Expect, the henge hadn't changed. And the ‘kai’ thing hadn't worked. Was this for real? Naruto pinched herself, but sure enough, it wasn't a dream.

“Since when do you treat people to… anything? Let alone ramen? Let alone  _ me _ ?”

Sasuke huffed, “What's so hard to believe? We're teammates.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets, “It’s not like this is the first time we’ve done this, anyways.”

“Yeah, but that… that was to celebrate making it to the finals!”

Sasuke smirked, “Then this is, too. I was thinking we could train after, too.”

“Really?”

Okay, that was a bit more believable. Sasuke wanting to buy ramen, or Sasuke wanting to train…? Yeah. Training was more his style. (Or, just maybe, Naurot thought that Sasuke was finally understand the awesomeness of ramen! Which made her cackle manically in her mind. Kurama joined in, but she could tell it was for a different reason. Stupid fox.)

“First.”

“What?”

She grinned, “Lets train first! A steaming bowl of ramen is so much more delicious after a hard day of work! And after the sun goes down… it reminds me of summer vacation! When I didn't have school the next day I could stay up late eating ramen!” She cheered. 

Except this time, she wouldn't be alone. Of course the Old Man and Ayame weren’t bad to talk to, bit bringing a teammate out for ramen after training? That had… always kind of been a fantasy of hers. 

They reached the training grounds fast.

“Spar?” Naruto asked.

“Spar,” Sasuke smirked

And they went right into it, not hesitating for even a second.

Naruto immediately tried to gain the upper hand by rushing Sasuke, but he was ready- blocking and dodging her two kicks and then parrying with one of his own. It managed to clip her side, but not much else, and Naruto back-springed away. She immediately grabbed a kunai right before landing on her feet and she threw it, though she fully didn't expect it to hit. It was merely a distraction.

She rushed him from the side, starting him further as she called up four shadow clones along the edges of the clearing, hopefully outside of Sasuke’s awareness. She grinned, dodging attacks and sprinting backwards just as two of them moved in. 

“So,” she smirked, her breath only the slightest bit shallow, “What's the rule on ninjutsu?”

Sasuke smirked right back, “Don’t get killed,” he said, right before summoning a giant wall of fire.

Naruto used the basic substitution to swap herself with a clone- grinning as Sasuke watched his own fireball swarm her and set her clothes and hair ablaze. The clone screamed the sick satisfaction of it all.

Sasuke stopped, hesitant- and Naruto swore she heard him swear under his breath as he moved forward to investigate. But all he found was the ash of the grass he burnt, and the edges of dissipating smoke.

“Got you,” Naruto chuckled,landing right behind him and managing to send a kick to his back. He flung himself around halfway so it only clipped- and he brought up his other hand to grab her foot.

They were in a stalemate.

Naruto considered tinkering up a beast ball, but she wasn't entirely sure if Sasuke would be able to get away from it at this range… and she didn't actually want to hurt him. Well, maybe some bruises and scratches would be fine- but a Bijuu-dama could easily kill or maim him at this distance.

Instead, she swiftly brought up her fingers and jabbed him in the stomach, hard. Just like she saw Hinata do to some poor Hyuuga-trainer, before. She laughed as Sasuke let her go and quickly sprinted away to access him.

He was already rushing her.

He managed to get a solid punch in at her chest and she quickly dropped and turned, attempting to sweep out his legs. He jumped, but she had already accounted for that- one of her clones was right above him, swinging her heel down in an axe kick.

Sasuke amazed to avoid getting conked on the head, but his shoulder wasn't as lucky. He dropped to a roll and immediately blasted out too quick fireballs, and Naruto barely avoided her hair getting set on fire. God, she'd have to either cut it short or start typing it up, as that wasn't the first time she could've lost a fight because of her pigtails.

And then her ankle slammed into something sharp.

She met with a face full of dirt- and couldn't stand up right away. She turned around to find fucking  _ ninja wire  _ wrapped around her ankle and extending out towards the two closest trees. 

“When did you even have time to do this?” She asked, shifting to sit up and cut herself free as her remaining two clones charged at Sasuke to buy her time.

“You should pay more attention,” was the only reason he gave her- jabbing a kunai into one of her clone’s stomach. Naruto’s own started to hurt… phantom pain? What was that? Why could she see Sasuke’s smirk so clearly- the stupid bastard was haunting her brain, now!

The last clone dissipated just as she freed herself. Naruto avoided three shuriken- but they were attached to wires, too, and started chasing after her.

“Fuck you and your wires!” she hissed, jumping above the shuriken and throwing herself back down while flipping out a kunai and cutting the threads before the shuriken could flip around towards her, “Fight me!”

“I am,” Sasuke laughed, launching himself toward and throwing them both into yet another bout of taijutsu.

Naruto pumped her limbs full of chakra, but carefully avoided any of Kurama’s. When (not if) she beat Sasuke, she was going to do it with her own damn power, thank you very much.

Today didn't seem like the day.

She managed to get far- slamming her foot against Sasuke’s left block and bringing her other foot up to parry his own kick. They were, like, a human pretzel, but with two people. They got so tangled up in trying to hurt each other that they eventually lost their balance and came crashing down. Naruto rolled over onto her back and considered the thought of getting up to continue fighting.

But she was already panting and sweating and honestly couldn’t think of a way to beat him. Bring him to a stalemate, sure - but there was no way to win without actually _hurting_ him. And as much as her younger self, even just a few months ago, would relish in the idea of punching this smug bastard in the face... she couldn't;t bring herself to do it, now. Like it or not, Sasuke had become something of a friend to her even if he wouldn't admit it himself. The same went for Sakura. Naruto through. The girl annoyed Naruto and Naruto noted Sakura in return, but they both couldn't deny that they had started a small friendship during their time as teammates.

“Heh,” she panted, noticing Sasuke wasn’t getting up, either, “guess that called it.”

He just made some noncommittal grunt.

She laughed, “Don’t begin thinking we're even, Sasuke. I was holding back- I didn’t even use any of Kurama’s chakra.”

“Che. I could say the same to you, dobe. I didn’t activate my Sharingan.”

“Touche.”

“It’s pronounce touché," Sasuke snorted.

“I can say it however I wanna,” she argued back, but it lacked any heat… especially with her still panting like a dog. “Hey, the sun is setting. Should we go get that ramen?”

“Heh,” was all Sasuke said, but he was pulling himself up to his feet, anyways.

Then, he held out a hand for her.

Obviously, she didn't take it. She just laughed, “Ya think I’m delicate, or something?”  
Sasuke turned away and started walking, but Naruto thought he saw a trace of a frown, “Heh, you did just stand up to me in a spar, so I guess not.”

“Eh? Is that how you judge everyone?” She started chasing after him, “Boy, if all you need to do is fight in order to become friends, then I shoulda kicked your ass ages ago.”

Sasuke stopped to look at her.

And only then did Naruto really realize what she said.

“Uh- cause- y'know, yer on such a high horse. If tying you makes us equals, then what's beating ya? Huh? I’d be like, the Queen of Konoha.”   
Sasuke raised a brow, "Hokage, you mean?" 

She snorted. Hokage wasn't really something she wanted. Not since she was young.

There was silence for but a moment.

“Whatever happened to that, anyway?”

“Huh?” She asked, giving Sasuke an incredulous look.

“You used to always run around shouting that you were going to be Hokage. You stopped.”

She shrugged. Since when did things get so serious? The atmosphere was as easy as it was just seconds ago, but… it had also changed a lot, too. Not in a bad way. Though, Naruto was surprised by that- since she did she find it easy to talk to  _ Sasuke _ ? She had grown up mildly hating the guy.

“I only wanted to become Hokage cause then everyone in Konoha would have to acknowledge and like me,” she shrugged again, not even knowing why she was saying something so stupid and so embarrassing, “When I learned why everyone hated me… I dunno. I just realized that maybe their respect wasn’t something I needed.”

Why was she saying this? Why was it slipping out so easily? Insecure, she stuffed her hand in her pockets and looked forward- resolute to not keep saying dumb things.

“You must really care for it… the Kyuubi, I mean.”

“Kurama,” she unconsciously corrected him, before bringing up her hands to cushion her head while she walked, “And yeah, I do. I think that meeting him… was the best thing that ever happened to me. We didn't get along, at first, but knowing there's somebody you can talk to who knows exactly what that loneliness is like… yeah, it’s nice.”

“How?”

“How is it nice?”

Sasuke shook his head, “How did you do it? Befriend a monster?”

The word monster left a sour taste on her tongue- Naruto stuck it out to try to clean it on the air, “I dunno. Persistence and respect? Acceptance? I think, mostly, it was because I realized real quick that Kurama wasn’t as bad as everyone said he was. He wasn’t a monster, and he was just as much a victim of the Kyuubi-attack as Konoha was. And when I figured that out… it was a lot easier to relate.”

“And what if he wasn’t a… victim.”

“I would have tried to befriend him, anyways, I think.”

“Why?”

She eyed Sasuke- why did he care so much? Actually, she thought, maybe he wasn't really asking about Kurama, but…

She pursed her lips, “there are two sides to every story, y’know. But one of them is harder to find… even though, I think, the harder one is worth hearing. I just wanted to hear it- whether or not it was a good story.”

“... that didn't answer my question.”

She shrugged, “Then… I guess my answer is: just cause.”

“What?”

Sasuke had stopped again. Naruto grinned and held up a V-for-victory.

“Just cause! Uzumaki Naruto does things… just cause! If I wanna do something, then why not do it, y’know?! Not like I’m gonna get a second life to try out all the things I didn't in the first one.”

Sasuke looked at her real funny before he started walking again. After a few minutes of silence, and when the air had cleared, he finally spoke again.

“We’re here. Order anything you want.”

Naruto sat at the ramen bar, sore but happy. The atmosphere wasn't as tense as before, and she easily fell back into a comfortable silence as they ordered their food.

Naruto grinned as their orders were placed in front of her, and the Old Man winked at her.

“Tonight’s ramen is on the house.”

“What?” Naruto asked- noodles halfway to her mouth.

“Iruka dropped by to give me the good news. Congratulations on making it to the finals, both of you! Have a little treat on me. Oh, and if you win your fights- then come back, and I’ll give you some more.”

Naruto cheered, “You’re the best, Old Man!”

A ladle came down and crushed her head and the old man sneered, “Don’t call me old, Naruto! Or I might just take back that offer!”

“Okay, okay!” She tutted, rubbing the sore spot- but she was still happy.

The stars were twinkling in the sky, and dragonflies and moths hung out by the warm light of the stand. Sasuke was nibbling away at his tomatoes (first, she grinned. He took her advice-) and she quickly started chewing on her fish cakes. It was a good night.

She thought, maybe, she should bring Hinata out for some ramen, sometime….

But…

That would be, like, a date, wouldn't it? Her face grew red at the thought.

“Dobe?”

She stuck her tongue out at Sasuke- “None of your business!”

“I didn’t even ask,” he chuckled, turning back to his food.

“You were about to-”

Wait.

Naruto blinked, looking at Sasuke.

And then herself.

Her and Sasuke.

Eating ramen.

Was…

Was  _ this  _ a date? Like- was… was she, Uzumaki Naruto, actually on a date? With none other than the heart-throb of Konoha (by all the other girl’s standards- not her own), Uchiha Sasuke?

Her heart stopped and she choked on her food.

Sasuke looked over at her and smirked, “you okay there, dobe?”

“S-shut it-”

Should she ask?

No. That would be way too embarrassing. Was this even a date? If it wasn’t- then asking would be the most humiliating thing in her life! And she had done quite a lot of humiliating things! Like… the conversation they had on the way here!

She started cramming her face with food- preparing to leave as soon as possible.

“You’re going to choke,” Sasuke commented smugly, stuffing another bite of tomatoes into his mouth. Naruto glared at him.

“I’m the best damn ramen-eater in the country,” she said after she finished her bite of food, “There's no way I can choke eating god's divine creation.”

“You…” Sasuke looked away, shoulders trembling… Was he laughing at her? “Best ramen-rater? That's not something to be proud of.”

“So is! Just you wait, one day, there will be a ramen-eating contest… and I will be the winner!”

“Again, not something to be proud of, dobe.”

She crossed her arms, “That's just what you think. Everyone else in the competition will be all _'w_ _ oah, look at her go! She's the best!'  _ and then they'll finally treat me better! ” She mimicked in a low-pitched voice.

“Oh, so the hypothetical people in your hypothetical story are proud of you. Congratulations.”

“I think you're just jealous.”

“... Of what?”

Naruto took a huge slurp of ramen, grinning widely. “I’m the best there is.”

“At something terrible.”

“So you admit I’m the best?”

“...”

They were both finished with their food, and Naruto scratched the back of her head. 

“So…” she hummed lightly, pushing herself off her stool- suddenly awkward. The conversation had completely distracted her on her very important self-discussion of whether or not she was actually on a date, right now, “Guess it’s time to go, huh?”

Sasuke grunted, getting off the stool himself. He nodded and Naruto immediately started taking off, running for home. She couldn't tell if it was just the lingering heat of the ramen, or if she was blushing.

Sasuke watched her go with his hand in his pockets and eyes sharp.

“That's strange…”

He turned around, watching as the ramen-guy picked up her bowl and inspected it. 

“What?” he asked, marching forward- he reached for his wallet, in case the man rescinded his offer that the food was free.

“She usually eats at least four bowls-” four? Seriously? Naruto wasn’t much of a girl, was she? Or, at least she didn’t act like one- “But today she didn't even finish her first…”

The ramen guy scratched the back of his head before looking at Sasuke with a critical eye, “You didn’t do anything to her, young man, did you?”

Sasuke frowned, stilling, “No.”

“Funny, she was acting strange, too…” the ramen guy muttered to himself, turning his back on Sasuke to start cleaning the dishes, “Maybe she's finally maturing… That girl, I never thought I would see the day. It's almost a little sad.”

Sasuke looked back in the direction she left in, contemplating. It felt eerily similar to when they had last done this, all those weeks ago… expect, that just happened. They were walking beside each other and Sasuke had just decided, on a whim, to do something with the girl.

Today, though…

He didn’t know why, why his feet just began walking in the direction of her ratty little apartment. He didn't know why he knocked on her door. He didn't have a clue as to what he was going to say or what they do before the words just started stumbling out of his mouth.

But…

It felt right.

He would try to take the ramen-guy up on his offer for more free food… after they both won their fights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that Sasuke is out of character
> 
> ...
> 
> He's trying his best ;;;  
> at some point, I guess it stops being out of character and more so just becomes character development. I'm honestly not sure which point I'm at, but I'm just out here writing what I want.   
> (Also, here we go: finally getting into the SasuNaru that everyone is wondering exists) 
> 
> Don't let this chapter fool you!! I actually very much like Jiriya's character. Just, uh, unfortunately, me liking his character does not mean that he's a good person. Because he really isn't. I don't know why nobody's ever mentioned how bad of a person Jiriya is- he basically abandoned Konoha (in several times of need), obsessed over Orochimaru, proved throughout the country, and never told Naruto about his parents or the fact that he was his fucking Godfather for a number of years.  
> I like Jiraiya. But he's not a good dude, my dudes. And I want my story to reflect taht- especially because his aspirations go against Naruto's. He basically wants to make a weapon out of her, and that's not going to fly in this story!!


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope that everyone is continuing to stay healthy.   
> This may be a bit personal, but ya girl here is immunocompromised and I work in a senior home, so I'm trying t stay extra healthy!!! Maybe that's why all my chapters seem to be late... hehe. (Actually I'd fault my numerous other writing projects)
> 
> Anyways.  
> This chapter is 4.4k words long. I honestly don't know if that's long or not- I'm editing on my far superior computer today and it seems like I went through it very fast when I was checking for simple errors. Huh. Or maybe I'm losing it.  
> Anyways, here you go.

“Report.”

Jiraiya shifted, not like the overwhelming number of people in the room with him. There were four, including him, which didn't seem like much, but… this was a troubling issue, one that had to be kept with the utmost secrecy. 

The Hokage was a given. Kakashi was unexpected, but not surprising. The Anbu? With the cat mask and short brown hair? Jiraiya didn’t recognize him and had no idea why he would be here. Though, he decided to trust Sarutobi’s judgement.

He was mildly surprised that Danzo didn’t weasel his way in here. He had taken a scary interest in the girl over the past few council meetings…

He eyed Sarutobi.

“Inconclusive. It’s hard to say whether or not she's actively communicating with Kyuubi, or simply just empathizing with it.”

There was a tense silence.

“Explain.”

Jiraiya stiffened, “Well, I tried to be careful when broaching the subject of her using Kyuubi chakra, and she didn't seem surprised when I did, and easily admitted that it was exactly what she was doing. She told me that Kyuubi’s chakra leaks into her own whenever she's in danger…”

“And you believe her?” Sarutobi asked, eyes flickering.

Jiraiya shrugged, “I managed to look at the seal when she was unconscious…” he cleared his throat- definitely not saying exactly _how_ she got knocked out, in the first place, “Minato designed the seal so that the Kyuubi’s chakra would eventually start mixing with its host’s network all on its own… so, yeah, I do believe her,” he scratched the back of his head, “I don’t fully _trust_ her, but I believe her.”

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, “You don’t trust her?”

“She's had some issues regarding Kyuubi. But, not the kind of issues you would normally expect. She's… almost protective of it. Naruto immediately refused when I offered to help train her in using Kyuubi chakra- she even ran away from me! Screaming something about not wanting to be a weapon!”

The Anbu flinched. Kakashi sighed, rubbing his forehead.

“She can be like that,” the Jounin sighed, “Once her brain latches onto an idea, it’s impossible to get her to change her mind. I bet someone mentioned how Jinchuuriki were weapons or something, and the thought’s been stuck there ever since.”

The and Jinhcuuriki came to everyone's mind, and Jiraiya groaned.

“So, you don’t think she's in contact with Kyuubi?” Sarutobi asked, looking at Kakashi.

“I’m still inconclusive, so I can't give you any kind fo certain answer. There's just as much evidence supporting a connection as contradicting one… many Jinchuuriki are capable of using their Bijuu chakra, just look at the Sand Jinchuuriki. And her protectiveness of Kyuubi could be considered suspicious but it could also just be Naruto… being _Naruto_. I have no doubt that she would act that way about  _ anyone  _ being treated as a weapon, regardless of them being a demon or not. I've even seen Naruto show empathy towards people actively trying to kill her."

“I agree,” Jiraiya said, scratching the back of his head, “But… she still has quite the mastery over Kyuubi’s chakra. Almost scarily so. Even Kushina didn't have that kind of control- and she was a fully grown adult with perfect chakra control. Naruto is a child, in fact, she's still only around the age that Kushina had become a Jinchuurki in the first place!"

“I’ve noticed that, too.” Kakashi interrupted, “She used Kyuubi chakra so easily in her preliminary fight, and then only gave me excuses as to how, before… changing the subject to Orochimaru. Who she also, supposedly, managed to fight off using Kyuubi chakra. That's not something any Genin should be able to do, Jinchuuriki to not."

Sarutobi rubbed his eyes looking older than ever. Jiraiya thought of maybe pressing him to retire… though, who would take the mantle of Hokage? Jiraiya wouldn’t. Maybe Tsunade. If only she wasn't running around the world and getting drunk. God knew they couldn't afford to let Danzo get his slimey hands on the position, or what would happen to Naruto then? _They_ were only trying to protect her... but Danzo would definitely take advantage of her affinity for Bijuu chakra.

“The only thing we can do is keep an eye on her… Jiraiya, I want you to keep checking the seal whenever possible.”

He nodded, “Got it.”

“Kakashi, make sure to keep an eye on her and report every time she uses Kyuubi chakra.”

Kakashi gravely nodded.

“Tenzo, make sure she never goes out of control. You’ll be our best sensor, on that. If you ever feel she's using too much chakra, or that the Kyuubi has taken control… you know what to do.”

Jiraiya eyes the Anbu as he took his orders and left- a bitter taste crawling up the side of his throat. Naruto flashed in his mind- covered in ink with her tongue sticking out. Staring him down with all the hatred in the world as she hid the fact that her ankle was  _ broken.  _ Running away at even the mere thought of having to weaponize a living being… 

_ A weapon, huh…? _

Then he thought of the Anbu. Of the fact that the only two people in Konoha who held a Sharingan were on her team. How, at even the slightest bit of Kyuubi chakra leaking from her, and a whole task-force was created to watch and restrict her moves.

_ Maybe she isn’t as delusional as I thought… _

Or-

No.

That was insane.

The Kyuubi was a danger to the village- nay, the entire world - and they had to keep it in check. Even if that meant an innocent girl would lose some of her freedom.

They were doing the right thing. They were trying to protect Konoha. And, just as importantly, they were trying to protect Naruto.

... Even if they had to protect her from herself.

* * *

She was practically vibrating in her seat.

The Chunin Exams were coming to their close-! Her and all the other candidates were in their own little section of seats, waiting for their fights to be called. Naruto was sitting next to Sakura, and they had an open seat for Sasuke… who, of course, was late. He was a bastard, after all. What else did she expect from him?

She’d probably be even more surprised if he  _ had  _ showed up on time. 

“Who are you fighting, again?” Naruto asked, leaning over to whisper to Sakura.

The girl gave her an annoyed look, and Naruto shrugged, grinning, “I didn’t pay attention to anyone's matches!” She laughed.

Sakura sighed before nodding her head towards Shikamaru, “I’m the second match,” she said, leaning over to match as Kiba and Tem-something fought. Kiba kept getting blown away before he could even reach his opponent… Naruto placed her bet on Tem-something.

Naruto then noticed Sakura’s hand shaking and quickly swapped in to pat the girl on the shoulder, “Shikamaru may be smart, but he's lazy and next physically strong-” the pineapple head heard her and walked over, glowering at both of them. Naruto stuck out her tongue, “just give him too much trouble and he’ll give up!” she laughed.

“I don't see why you’re so happy, Naruto,” Shikamaru bristled, stuffing his hands in his pockets, “you’re fighting against that… freak…” he blanched, eyes moving to the far side of the competitor's area, where Gaara was standing. 

Naruto snorted, “If he's a freak, then I’m a freak.”

“We think you're a freak, Naruto," both Sakura and Shikamaru droned in unison.

“We saw what you did with your chakra in the primaries,” Shino suddenly swooped in, pushing up his glasses, “but I am uncertain if that is a match for the Sand-nin.”

Naruto waved him off.

“They’re right, Naruto… if I were you, I would be worried,” Sakura hushed, grabbing onto Naruto’s jacket sleeve.

“Okay, okay, I get it. Gaara’s kind of emo and has a bit of a temper… but I think you guys are all overestimating him. And underestimating me,” she huffed, suddenly offended, “It’s not like I’ve shown you everything I’ve made of! Actually…” her grin grew a bit evil as she thought of everything she had learned over the break, “I’ve just barely scratched the surface.”

Sakura laughed, but Shino and Shikamaru took it seriously- or, Shikamaru took it seriously. She thought… and Shino always kind of had a serious look on his face… 

“I still think you should be worried, Naruto. If… if you ever think you’re in danger, then maybe you should just forfeit the match. Your safety is more important than winning," Sakura bit her lip.

Wait.. was she _worried_ about her? That made her anger melt away.

Naruto beamed, “You already know that Uzumaki Naruto ain't no quitter! And, I ain't no scaredy-cat, neither! I know what I'm getting into, and I', okay with the danger. After all, I don't think safety should be my priority in a _fight._ Just watch-”

Sakura tried to stop her as she pushed herself up from her seat and strolled over to Gaara, but nobody even dared to follow, no matter how outraged they were by her actions. Naruto grinned and she slid up to him, waving.

“How goes it?” She asked.

He gave her a long, blank look. She huffed and crossed her arms, socking a hip to the side and making absolutely sure he was aware she wasn't afraid of his stupid little brooding act. She was a damn master Jinhcuuriki, and she wasn't afraid of some edgy kid who still had Bijuu temper-tantrums.

“You’re a little bit rude, Gaara. Did ya know that?”

He turned away from her. She grinned.

“But not scary, like you seem to think you are,” she sang, prancing into his view, “I was just wondering how everything was going with Shukaku. Is he still being mean to you? Cause I could talk to him if ya need.”

He eyed her, “And how would you do that?”

She blinked, ”You don’t know? You can enter your seal~ or, at least I can. I’m not too sure how all seals work…”

“...”

He looked skeptical.

“I’ll tell ya what… how about I teach you? Remember- you can call me Uzumaki-sensei!”

“I will not do that.”

She huffed.

“When will you accept me as your teacher! There's so much I can help you with, Gaara! It’s not just Kurama that I’m friends with, I’ll have you know! I've also met Gyuki and Kouko and Son Goku and Matatabi!” she stuck her tongue out, “and, yeah, Son’s a little egotistical… but all the other ones are really nice! And Kurama is super grumpy, but he's nice on the inside, y’know. He has a heart of gold!”

He looked at her skeptically.

“Okay, I’ll tell ya what-” she wiggled, suddenly excited by her own idea, “What if… I beat you in our fight. And I show you how fucking awesome and strong I am… because I cooperate with Kyuubi?! Then, will you let me teach you?”

He looked at her for a long while, not saying anything. Then, “... Fine. But if I win, you will stop pestering me.”

She grinned, confident, “It's a bet!”

She stuck out a hand so that they could shake on it- when someone grabbed her sleeve and started pulling her away. She turned to see… Sasuke!

“You show up late and then immediately start harassing me?” she grunted, trying to pull her sleeve free. It didn’t work. “What's your problem?’

Sasuke had to drag her all the way back to the others before he let go, whirling on her, “What's _yours_?” He hissed, “That guy is dangerous-”

“Why do you care so much?” she hissed back, “And did you  _ not  _ just see me having a normal conversation with him? He's not dangerous. Just misunderstood.”

Recognition flashed in Sasuke’s eyes and he grunted, “you can't win everyone over with… perseverance and… what was it, respect?”

“Love," she countered- “And you can, too! I already did it with Gaara. We're friends.” At least she planned on becoming friends with Gaara. For right now they had, at least, a mutual understanding of who the other one was.

Shikamaru stuffed his hands in his pockets, already looking bored, “And when exactly did you do that?”

“Over the training period.” Kind of. She more or less had that talk about rice balls with him... er, did that make them friends? She'd have to talk to Gaara more.

“You…” Shino pushed up his glasses, “Are aware he is your opponent, yes?”

“Yeah, why?”

They all look at her like she was an idiot. Naruto laughed.

“Oh, yeah! We actually just made a bet on our match!”

“A bet?” Sasuke raised a brow.

She stuck out her tongue, “None of your business!” It was secret Jinchuuriki stuff. 

“You’re such an idiot…” Sakura mumbled. “Gaara is strong, Naruto. You should really take my advice… so you don’t get hurt.”

“You can’t fight without expecting to get hurt, Sakura. It’s just part of being a shinobi. Besides, I’m not afraid of a little pain.”

“How about a _lot_ of pain?” Shikamaru grunted. Why was he butting in? They had barely spoken to each other since graduation, and now he was coming over and telling her what she could and couldn't do? What did he know about her, anyway?

Naruto swallowed her anger and took a deep breath.

“Nope! I'm pretty good with pain," she winked.

“But…” Sakura suddenly looked nervous again- it kind of warmed Naruto’s heart to think that the girl was so worried about her, “You saw what he did to Lee.”

Sasuke grunted, “That wouldn't happen to Naruto-”

Naruto beamed, “Yeah, that's right! See? Sasuke believes in me!"

“- She’d die, first.”

“Come on! I’m strong!” She formed a boxing-stance and mockingly punched the air in front of Sasuke- “Don’t forget our little sparring match, teme! I totally beat you!”

He snorted and caught one of her punches, “I didn’t even use my Sharingan, dobe. I was holding back.”

“And we've already been over this! I didn' even use-"

They all froze when the announcer started speaking again.

“The winner is Temari of the Sand Village! The next fight: Haruno Sakura versus Nara Shikamaru will begin shortly!”

All eyes moved over to the two- and Naruto caught that Sakura had started shaking again.

“All right-” she said, pushing her way between the two and bumping into Sakura, “Alright Sakura, now you go and beat his lazy ass! Kick him where the sun doesn't shine and make him no want to show his face around Konoha again!"

“I’m right here,” Shikamaru sighed.

Ino started yelling obesities for dissing her teammate. Naruto giggled, and Sakura quietly joined her.

“What? You think I’m going to cheer for you over my teammate? Get real, Shikamaru!” She slapped him on the back and he immediately fled from her, “Besides, you have Ino doing enough of that-” she jabbed her thumb behind her, to where the girl was screaming next to Choji and Asuma. "How can I compete with that?" Naruto added with a wince.

Shikamaru hooked up to her with dead eyes, “Troublesome…”

“Haruno Sakura? Nara Shikamaru?” An examiner came forward, holding a clipboard and looking out at all of them- Shikamaru and Sakura stepped forward, “Your fight will begin shortly, please come with me down to the area…”

They left, and Tem-something came in and sat down next to Gaara’s brother. Naruto excitedly pulled Sasuke over to the closest best seats so that they could watch Sakura’s fight. 

“She's going to win,” Naruto breathed, “She has to. She's part of Team Seven just like we are- and maybe she's a different kind fo fighter, but favouring strategy over strength is necessarily a bad thing."

Sasuke just sat back in silence, seemingly digesting her words. he granted and turned to the area, his eyes flashing where they settled on their pink-haired teammate.

The fight was about to begin.

  
  


Sakura moved as soon as the examiner started the match- she wouldn't be caught in any one place for too long, for else Shimaru would catch her with his shadow possession… and, as soon as that happened, it would all be over.

She took careful note of where her shadow was and where the sky was positioned while she ran- already noticing another thin line of darkness following her movements.

Okay. Breath. Naruto, while being an idiot, was actually kind of right in this case. Shikamaru isn't an exceptionally powerful fighter- rather, he used his intellect to make up for his [shyical weakness. Sakura was, admittedly, very similar- she used the same style to her fighting, except she didn't have any kind of clan technique to help cover her bases and make her a niche fighting style. Instead, she had an array of simple techniques that she had fully mastered, as well as expectant chakra control. But considering she was facing off against a kekkai Genkai- that might not be enough to breach the gap between them.

If she could use genjutsu…

Her mind briefed through the techniques that she knew. A few seemed viable- but would it really be enough? She expected Shikamaru to be able to see through things like that, being as intelligent and observant as he was. She knew that he only had low scores in their academy class due to his inability to ever finish his work- yet, he had a mind that was just as bright as her own, if not brighter.

If she was going to fool him, she had to make it good.

He suddenly threw a kunai at her- and her first instinct was to go right, only she noticed the overlapping shadow of the colosseum wall, and quickly went to the left.

According to her small knowledge of his clan's technique, Shikamaru’s own shadow could only stretch so far, and so instead, he could use other shadows to increase the length. She would have to be careful to stay in the open area of the arena, there the sun was the highest and only her personal shadow would be near her.

She fluidly moved, noting that Shikamaru’s eyes followed her intently as she did. They had a mental conversation- he knew that she knew exactly what his plan was: to lead her close enough to a neighbouring shadow so that he could grab her with his technique.

Well, Sakura could think if a few counter attacks. His chakra would have to run out, eventually, and so she could always bide her time… but that wouldn't work- Shikamaru was conscious enough of his chakra to monitor the amount he was using, and not waste any. 

She had to get close to him. She was the better physical fighter of the two, and if they wanted close combat, where Shikamaru didn't have the time needed to make the seal of his jutsu… just maybe, she would be able to beat him.

But how to get close without getting caught… 

She quickly went through a series of hand seals and started working her chakra- casting the illusion on Shikamaru discreetly. She could still see the real world, but in her mind's eye, she saw Shikamaru’s. It shifted, the sun moving ever so slightly so that her shadow was at a different angle, and that was exactly what she needed.

Shikamaru began silently covering her movements, once more, and Sakura pretended not to notice. She kept a fine eye on her shadow- she would have to place herself just  _ perfectly  _ so that Shikamaru  _ thought  _ his jutsu was taking hold on her genjutsu shadow, and not her real one.

She saw his shadow inch closer- too close, and quickly jumped away, purposefully trying to maneuver her fake shadow to be his next target.

Had he seen through her genjutsu?

She had to move this fight forward- get closer to him! But how? The closer she got, the easier it would be for him to take hold of her shadow, even with the genjutsu slightly morphing it away. 

She fingered her weapons pouch, thinking hard as she surveyed her items. Kunai. Shurkin. Bandages. Healing solvent. Flash tag. Ninja wire.

Wait.

A flash tag…

She grinned, quickly pumping chakra into the seal and throwing it in the air right in front of Shimaru as she dodged to the left.

Of course, then explosion missed- but that man's;t the point. The smoke slowly disappeared but was enough of a cover for Sakura to begin running forward- the shock of the blast had moved her shadow to the side, and just as it did, she changed to genjutsu so that the light remained and only that shadow appeared visible.

“Using the fire to change your shadows position, huh?” Shikamaru grinned, “Smart.”

No- that wasn't her true plan.

She was already closing the distance- well aware that his shadow line was creeping up on her. She threw another flash tag as well as a kunai- and her genjutsu morphed again on the spot.

She subtitled the kunai and made her clone grab it as it swapped places with her. She grinned- she was right behind Shikamaru.

His shadow took hold of her clone.

And she struck.

Shikamaru somehow managed to sense her in time, pulling himself down so that her roundhouse hit nothing but hair. She huffed at the miss but continued it up with another flurry of attacks, kicking and punching and getting a swift combo in on Shikamaru’s chest. He grunted in pain and fell backwards, the paralysis releasing just as her clone popped out of existence.

He lay on the ground for a few moments, eyes open, staring at the clouds. Was he… going to get up?

The examiner walked over, the same question clear on his face.

“This is too troublesome,” Shikamaru said with a sigh, “I forfeit.”

Sakura blinked. Just like that? He was... giving up?

She felt… like some were wrong here. It even took out all the cheer of her victory- she silently walked behind Shikamaru as he rubbed the back of his head, yawning. Sakura wasn't sure if she should feel proud or offended- why was he giving up? They had barely managed to scrape each other!

“That genutsu is too troublesome to fight with. I want to take a nap," he mumbled under his breath as he started going up the stairs towards a waiting Choji.

Sakura from behind him

He… knew? About the genjutsu?

Her body went cold as if someone dipped her in a bucket of ice water. She shivered, rubbing her arms and bristling, watching as Shikamaru lazily took a seat.

He had her figured out the entire time. He knew about the Genjutsu. He knew her tricks and likely knew how to dismantle them and make her strategy useless. he could have easily deactivated the Jutsu and hit her with his shadow possession while she was still reeling from the failed technique- effectively sealing the match in his favour.

So then, why did _she_ win the fight?

* * *

Sasuke’s fight was called.

He made his way down to the arena with a confident feeling- Neji may be seen as the strongest Konoha genin, but Sasuke was here to take that title from him. The Sharingan was superior to the Byakugan, and he would prove it with this match.

His eyes flickered up to the competitor's area and he smirked as he saw bright blonde. She was watching expectantly… and he was willing to give her a little show.

Sakura was there, too.

Neji stepped into the ring and the examiner started the match. 

They both leapt back, gaining room and assessing their opponent. Sasuke noted that Neji was far warier than he had been in his preliminary fight- good, he should be. Sasuke wasn't some meek heiress that ended egging on just to participate. He was strong. He was an avenger.

He… 

His eyes flickered up to a blur of orange once more- 

He had reason to fight.

What did Neji have? 

His clan was still alive. His family was still alive. He was a member of Konoha, accepted, sought out as the strongest. He had power and privilege. He wasn’t alone. 

Sasuke saw no reason for him to fight.

What did he have?

He was so much different than him.

_ They were so much different than him. _

He didn’t understand them. Not their loneliness or their pain for the looks people sent their way- pity or disdain. He didn’t have a monster that loomed over him every second of the day. Neji wasn't like _them._ neji wasn't like anyone Sasuke had ever cared about, nor was he like anyone he would ever bring himself to be cared for. He wasn't like her. he was pitiful and disgusting.

He had no Monster.

So how could he possibly fight as like did?

A voice rang in the back of his head.

(Everyone had their own Monster, idiot.)

...

Why did it sound like Naruto, whens he had never said that to him before?

Sasuke threw a fireball at him, then quickly followed it by a series of kunai, hidden vye the blast. Neji activated his Byakugan and saw through it, immediately, dodging and weaving and throwing some weapons of his own. The Sharingan was next to make an appearance- everything slowed and Sasuke took every second he could to fully analyze what was happening before he could react.

He could see everything.

He could see himself winning.

“This is my destiny,” he whispered, springing off his hands and landing perfectly- “If I don’t win here, how can I beat _him_?” he muttered to himself- blood and screams and torment flashing in his mind. Reds eyes. Splitting into three commas and spinning.

Yet, he saw a different pair of red eyes. bright like blood and slit like a cat. Attached to a warm smile and pretty blonde hair.

... His destiny? His destiny was to kill his monster and reclaim his honour.

“Destiny?”

How had Neji heard him- from that distance?

“Ironic- how I consider my own winning of this match to be my destiny!” Neji proclaimed. 

Sasuke smirked- did this guy seriously think he could win? Against him? Neji may be considered one of the strongest Genin- but he certainly wasn't the brightest if he thought he could take on the might of the Uchiha clan. 

Sasuke considered springing forward, but even he was wary of the gentle fist. It was well-renowned for being one of Konoha’s strongest Taijutsu sets, and Sasuke didn't have enough knowledge to properly be able to counteract it. The fight against the Heiress was helpful, but not enough.

He had two options of long-range attacking- weaponry (he was rather adept with Ninja-wire) and Ninjutsu, of which he primarily knew fire-style and the basic academy jutsu.

Then, there was that new technique Kakashi taught him…

That would come, later. In his fight against Naruto, when the two of them made it to the top of the rooster. He had no doubt they would both make it. Gaara? Nothing compared to her. Neji? Nothing compared to him. 

Then, all the weaklings could fight amongst themselves. He had no interest in anyone but the strong.

He threw multiple kunai and shuriken, using them as a distraction to dart around and secretly place ninja-wire around the area as a sort of cat's-cradle. Neji was fast and extremely good at close combat- it would best to corner him to attack.  Sasuke grinned as Neji moved as predicted, dodging each and every one of his weapons. That wasn't their purpose. Instead- Sasuke finished his true trap.

Neji hadn't turned around. Was he really that oblivious? Or- no. Something had to be happening.

Either way, the genin was trapped in his cage of invisible wire. 

Sasuke’s chest ballooned and heat enraged at his core as his chakra lit and became fire- he shouted out his attack as his hand-seals completed and allowed the flame to burst out, springing forward and edging closer and closer to his opponent-

Neji span, and an almost solid wall of chakra flowed out of his palms and guarded him like that of Gaara’s shield. Sasuke bit back a curse- what the hell was that?

“The secret rotation technique of the Hyuuga Clan,” Neji commented, taking in a deep breath as he slowed to a stop, “while a lowly Branch House member such as myself was never taught it, I reserved engineered it for my own use.”

He reverse-engineered a technique? But… that was an ability of the Sharingan! Only Sasuke should be able to do that!

How… _dare_ he. 

He didn't deserve that kind of power.  _ No one _ deserved that kind of power! It was Sasuke’s- and Sasuke’s alone. Not Neji’s or Kakashi or even Itachi. Uchiha Madara could spin in his grave for all he cared, he didn't deserve to hold the name of the Uchiha. Sasuke was going to assure that this power belonged to him, alone. He was the only Uchiha left. The other one was nothing but a monster.

("How did you do it? Befriend a Monster?")

(Why did he want to know? His destiny wasn't to befriend his monster, but to destroy it.)

He bit his lip so hard that blood trickled down his chin.

(Why did that feel... why did that feel wrong?)

“I did so- because it was my destiny,” Neji made a fighting stance, eyes narrowing, “Just like it is my destiny to win this match.”

Sasuke’s Sharingan burned. He leapt forward faster than ever before- and his foot was slamming against the side of Neji’s skull before the other could even react. Blood was spat on the ground, but it was not Sasuke's own.

He dropped to the ground and swung up again for another kick. Neji instinctually tried to block it, to parry or counter or do  _ something-  _ but by the time his reflexes activated, Sasuke was already moving to the other side of him, attacking once more.

“How-” Neji grunted, but was stopped by another kick to the face.

“I don’t care about your destiny,” Sasuke bit out- his eyes flickered upwards, to Naruto. She was such an idiot… but… what would she say? He had a feeling like... this was supposed to be Naruto's fight. Neji was a strong opponent that Sasuke felt vindicated by attacking (proving the Sharingan's superiority), yet- the philosophy behind the match was something he couldn't grasp. It was something he felt like Naruto should be handling, not him. he was wasn't good with emotions in the way that, _somehow_ , Naruto was.

Actually, he thought he knew exactly what she would say. And, for some reason, he wanted to speak like her. Maybe just a little. She was an idiot. But she also… 

He gave Neji a serious look, “Destiny… who cares? Destiny doesn't exist-” yeah, that's what _she_ would say, “I’m going to do what I want with my life. Regardless of whatever destiny allows you to control you.” Just like with her idiotic fishcakes, and her less idiotic ability to befriend anything and everything that was around her, including a demon. She was an idiot, sure, but Naruto also seemed to have the strangest moments of wisdom that even Sasuke could respect. 

In his own strange way. Her advice never made sense- but he found himself following it regardless.

He smirked inwardly.

_ Whatever he wanted with his life…  _

The ground lit up with an array of chakra as Neji grunted, stepping forward- “Two palms!”

Well, there were a few things in life that Sasuke could definitively say he wanted.

One of the hits managed to catch his shoulder, and the area immediately went numb, the other he rolled out of the way. Neji wasn't finished.

“Four palms!”

Sasuke parried. He dodged and weaved and did everything his Sharingan told him- because he twisted his eyes more than anything. They knew exactly how this was going, and they knew how to avoid it. 

He jumped out of the way and slid on the ground, throwing some kunai to cover him for a moment as he finally took a chance to breathe. One of them caught Neji’s left calf.

_ Whatever he wanted… _

Hindered by his injury, Neji wasn't quite fast enough to even attempt to hit Sasuke. The Uchiha smirked, riling up his chakra-

“Fire style!” He shouted, summoning forth the largest fireball he possibly could and sending it flying across the Eight-Trigrams-Array. 

_ He could think of a few things. _

His gaze hit Naruto for the last time of his match- and he swore, she was staring right back. How could she not? Sasuke felt a twinge of satisfaction knowing that she had eyes for nobody else but him during the match. Neji didn't deserve her watching him. Sasuke was the obvious victor, and he deserved attention for that.

Neji was crisp but alive. 

The examiner called the match.

He had just won.

And he wanted her to be his next opponent. She was the only one here who had even a chance of beating him, after all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did a little bit of impromptu editing in this chapter, even though I'm not as caught up on the story as I would like to be editing as I have been today. Uh, I couldn't resist the urge.
> 
> ...  
> Huh.
> 
> I just noticed an inconsistency with my own dang story. Gee whizz. In chapter 14 when I originally had them drawing names for who was fighting who, I had pitched Sakura to be fighting Kabuto- but for some reason, in this chapter, she's fighting Shikamaru. I also... don't know... what happened to kabuto? I feel like I'm missing something here? Ummmmmm I went back to chapter 14 and fixed the error, since as intrigued as I am about Sakura and Kabuto fighting, I don't really feel like rewriting her fight and then changing the rest of the chapters for consistency (where needed).  
> Sorry! Again, I wrote this story quite a while ago, and I guess something must have messed up in my brain while I was originally writing the story. I'm letting you all know about this now since I can't really change much else without changing more things in the future. Thanks!
> 
> \---
> 
> "They were doing the right thing. They were trying to protect Konoha. And, just as importantly, they were trying to protect Naruto.
> 
> ... Even if they had to protect her from herself.'
> 
> I'm just going to be leaving this quote here. :)


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I know this is late... I uploaded the chapter on Saturday, but I was confused (and a little sad) that I wasn't getting any emails about comments, so I checked A03 and it turns out that the chapter didn't upload. My internet has been pretty spotty lately so I'm sure that's why...  
> Anyways: I', trying again! My connection is good right now, so hopefully, it will go up! ^^
> 
> Finally: The Naruto and Gaara fight! featuring a couple of Jinhcuuriki abilities that I think are super cool... and, like, totally better than Naruto being able to make chakra hands. I hate those stupid chakra hands. *You have full access to the power of a demon, and you're making hands come out of your back so you can make more fucking Rasengan?* It's all a waste of writing potential if you ask me.

Naruto shuddered out a breath in her seat, watching as Sasuke  _ stared  _ at her. Even at such a great distance, she could feel the lingering gaze of the Sahinargan on her form. She felt disgusted… but… she also felt something else. Something she couldn’t quite name.

“Naruto?”

Sakura’s voice was foggy and foreign as if the girl was speaking to her from underwater.

Her eyes didn't move away from Sasuke’s form as he took his leave from the ring. The crowd was cheering loud enough to deafen, but she couldn’t identify it from any other white noise. Something was grabbing at her arm but she could barely feel it.

The way he was looking at her… 

Naruto’s name was called. She shook her head and raced down to the stadium before an examiner could even tell her to- and she knew Gaara was hot on her tails. Perhaps more patient and far less excited, but excited, nonetheless. She was grinning just from the thought.

The adrenaline rush numbed her body and her mind, and for a moment, she forgot that Sasuke had even been staring at her with eyes bloody red, just seconds ago.

This was going to be so fucking awesome!

(She didn't even care if she would get in trouble for using Kyuubi chakra. If it helped a fellow Jinchuuriki- then it was worth it.)

She didn't know if it was just an effect of being in this huge stadium, fighting in front of all these people… but there was thrumming energy in the air that was so thick it was almost  _ psychical.  _ Like- more than just here and Gaara were gearing up for a fight, kind of energy. She even felt multiple foreign chakra sources light up…

Were people  _ this  _ excited about the match?

Had the word got out that two Jinchuuriki were fighting each other? Because she was sure news like that would be the talk of the town. 

Kurama’s chakra was bubbling under her skin before the match was even called- and Naruto remembered to activate the very specific technique her and Kurama had just recently discovered, something that was bound to give her an edge over Gaara’s sand guard.

It was a variant of the yang-cloak, one could say. Naruto discovered it accidentally when she had prematurely spread yang chakra over her body.

The fight was started and she wasted no time getting started. First- the jacket had to come off. The examiner and Gaara both gave her a look of surprise, and she suddenly felt a heated pool in her cheeks. She was only wearing a sports bra under her coat… but it was purposeful! Cause, like, skin-contact was needed for the technique to work. So, even if she was only in a bra and shorts… she was okay with it. If it meant kicking ass.

She covered her skin with a shiny, translucent layer of chakra- one that wouldn’t even be noticeable if one wasn’t a sensor type or purposefully looking for it. She grinned, rushing forward and giving Gaara no time to strike first. He was more of a defense fighter, anyways.

She brought up her legs to give a series of kicks, all of which were guarded by Gaara’s sand. No surprise. She just wanted to test its durability and speed- not that she was surprised that it was above par in both categories.

For just a second, she felt a shred of doubt. Maybe this plan wouldn't work… the sand shield  _ was  _ reinforced with demonic chakra, after all. And who knew how effective demonic chakra was against… demonic chakra.

Gaara pushed her back in the moment of hesitation, and she had to dodge a flurry of sharp sand-needles and he shouted out some kind of sand-rain attack. She managed to get by with only a few scrapes, which were already sizzling shut by the time she made her next move.

She would have to unveil her newest attack.

She grinned, springing off her hands to get increased air and soaring right overtop of Gaara before hs pushed her weight down- originally it looked like a kick, triggering the sand shield, but she instead turned over to land on it with her hands, grinning wildly as she felt the slick coat of acidic-chakra transfer from her hands into the sand.

She sprang off at a safe distance and waited.

The sand stayed there, for a moment. Then, a little trail of blacking-sand began pouring on Gaara’s head. He blinked. Looked up. Just as his shield crumbled without his control.

“What did you do?!” He growled, holding up a handful of crumbling sand, withering away under the effects of her corrosion.

“I thought of a new technique… just for you!” She squealed, spinning in a circle- “Of course, I wasn't sure if it would work, since it’s demon chakra against demon chakra… but it did!”

“What?” the examiner asked with a sharp intake of breath.

Naruto gave him a sharp grin, “ acid cloak,” she whispered, knowing full well the people in the stands wouldn't be able to hear. “That's not all-”

It certainly wasn’t.

She opened her palm, chakra swirling in preparation for a Bijuu-dama, but instead, a whirling, sticky ball of Kyuubi-chakra sprang forth, and she quickly shot it off her palm, as if it really were a Bijuu-dama. Acid-dama. Another semi-accidental discovery that she made while practicing real Bijuu-dama. 

The sand-shield pulled itself up, just as predicted. Naruto grinned, not even moving. She just leaned back to watch the show.

“You might wanna stand back-” she warned the examiner.

Indeed, he moved away- just as the Acid-dama exploded.

Shards of corroding-sand splattered all through the arena, but the chakra didn't stop there. It continued gnawing away at everything it touched, and now, there was a multitude of little holes in the ground from where Kurama’s chakra touched.

“You see my awesome powers, Gaara?” She smirked, holding up a V-for-victory, “Why don't you just give up and accept me as your sensei? I’m sure we could come up with all sorts of cool shit!”

Gaara just growled, calling up another technique- tsunami or whatever.

An entire wall of sand began launching itself at her. Naruto screamed and started running, but it was catching up! With nowhere else to go, she ducked to the side just as the sand splashed against the wall of the stadium.

Fuck!

It started forming another wave, and all she could do was crawl back, lifting up her palm to make another Acid-dama, and quickly shoot it off. The corroded sand gave way in places, making a hole in the sand just long enough for Naruto to jump through and avoid the hit. 

She landed and started moving fast towards Gaara. He was really messing things up- she’d have to end this soon. She was mighty, and had pretty much-thrown caution to the wind… but she didn't quite want to go _all out_ while still in Konoha… a bit was fine, the Hokage, Kakashi, Pervy Sage… they all already knew. They knew that he knew about Kyuubi. Hell, Jiraiya had tried to teach her how to use Kyuubi chakra, so she could only imagine that Konoha wanted her to be better at using it (for malicious purposes, fo course), but... well, if she went too far and showed too much prowess for being HJinhcuuriki then it would start attracting the creeps.

Hey, like Orochimaru! That's exactly what happened! And Naruto wanted to keep his scaly, disgusting mitts as far away from Kurama as she could. 

She sped forward, a Bijuu-dama already twirling on her fingers before she even reached him. She snapped it off- and it threw and hit his windshield, blowing away the sand just enough so that she could send another. That was the true first-hit she got on Gaara, launching him back far enough to slam against the wall. 

She laughed.

“Here's my first lesson as Uzumaki-sensei,” she taunted, moving in closer, an Acid-dama was resting warmly against her palm and her other hand getting ready to summon some clones, “Standing in one place puts you at a disadvantage."

Gaara growled and sat up, another wall of sand coming at her-- but it wasn't alone. Followed after it was a huge volley of spikes, far more deadly their kunai if she had to guess.

Naruto sent the Acid-damage to once more deal with the sand wave and summoned a posse of clones, hidden within the smoke that the attack had made. They disappeared, her real self hidden among them.

They all started running, converging on Gaara to attack him all at once. The sand shield blocked all of their attacks while the spikes took out a few clones, but once the Naruto's started using the Acid-cloak once more to break down the walls, they kept getting closer and closer.

The real Naruto managed a hit, right on Gaara’s cheek. At least two tails-worth of chakra pumping through that single arm. He slammed against the wall. And didn't get back up.

The examiner stared at her with wide, unbelieving eyes, “Uzumaki Naruto, and I can't believe I'm saying this... is the winner!”

The crowd went _wild_.

…

And the chakra she felt earlier… started giving off a scent of bloodlust. Now that Gaara’s own bloodlust has faded… it was almost impossible to ignore.

When she got up to the stands, she immediately cornered a bored-looking Kaka-sensei.

“Something's going to happen-”

Her lungs and her throat closed and she choked- Kurama’s chakra suddenly flexed and dissipated from her reach, her own flickering back and forth.

The sky titled at a funny angle and suddenly her vision was cloaked over with a strange, shifting shade of purple. Feather's fluttered down from the sky and she looked up just as a single one landed on her nose.

Kakashi yelled something.

And the world went dark.

* * *

He watched her carefully as she stood, victorious at having beaten down Gaara. He was a tough opponent- for anyone but her. He knew she would be fine.  So, naturally, he was concerned that she wasn’t celebrating. Of all the people in the world, Uzumaki Naruto was one to gloat. They all knew that. Especially since it seemed like all the rest of their class - and everyone, really - had doubted her. They all expected her to lose... and to be fair, Gaara was a monster. But Naruto knew how to tame monsters.

Som why wasn't she celebrating?

He supposed he wasn't the only on-edge, because of it. He activated his Sharingan and tried to read her epxression- worried, tensed. She was looking into the distance, at something that not even Sasuke's eyes could quite catch.

Sakura sent him a worried look,  “She was acting weird, just before the match…” the girl mumbled, “I tried calling out to her, but she ignored me. And she had this… the dazed look on her face.”

“There's something wrong with her chakra,” Shino said, butting in and stepping forward, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Not helpful. Sasuke already knew what was wrong with her chakra- finally, after several, long, infuriating weeks of knowing that _something wasn't quite right_ about her.

The fucking Kyuubi no Kitsune. Who would have thought?

Thankfully, Sakura was far more helpful than Shino was, "That's not important. Why is she just standing there? I feel like something is going to happen..."

“There's something up with her,” he said, his Sharingan locking in on her form and watching as she climbed over to Kakashi, a pensive look on her face. She started saying something-

A feather? Floating down from the sky. His Sharingan trailed along with it, and suddenly it was gone. 

Naruto collapsed seconds later.

Sakura was next, right beside him. He hurriedly caught her as she slipped, but his eyes didn't leave Naruto as he watched Kakashi move her into a stadium seat. Then Shino and Shikamaru both fell- and soon everyone in the competitor's booth minus himself and the two from Suna was collapsed on the ground, helpless. Unconscious. He shook Sakura, but she didn't budge.

His eyes flickered, sensing the chakra lacing the air. A genjutsu? But then Sakura- he turned, but she still wasn’t getting up. This kind of thing was her speciality, yet even she fell victim to it? How high-levelled was this technique? He was lucky that his Sharingan had already been activated, or else he would have, no doing, fallen victim to the Genjutsu just like his teammates.

“Fuck,” the woman from sound hissed, turning to him with sharp eyes, “He had that Kekkei-Genkai activated.”

The boy grumbled something to her in response, looking pissed. Were they a part of this? Sasuke readied himself, glaring at the two Suna-nin as they turned their attention fully to him.

The girl took out her fan- Sasuke didn't even give her the chance, throwing a kunai and tearing a hole right through the paper. She hissed- but he was already moving, throwing down a smoke-bomb and grabbing sakura.

Suddenly Shikamaru was up... somehow, despite Sasuke seeing him clearly collapse to the ground just like the rest. Now, he was standing and pulling Shino and Lee along with him as the area they were just in was torn through by a vicious wind-attack.

“Were you just going to abandon us, you bastard?” Shikamaru hissed, sweat running down his brow.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, “Where did you even come from?’

Shikamaru stayed quiet and started moving in a different direction than him. Sasuke didn't stop, going straight for Naruto. Kakashi had, at some point, abandoned her on the seat. Sure, fighting off the Suna-nin (who were suddenly coming out of the woodwork- holy shit, this was an attack!) but was that really an excuse to leave your student defenceless? He could have at least released the Genjutsu on her! Naruto was a valuable asset in a fight- even Sasuke could admit that.

Wasn't Kakashi the one always demanding that they practice teamwork? Those who break the rules are scum… but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum!

Sakura groaned beneath his arm.

He let her go to her feet just as they reached Naruto.

“What?” Sakura groaned, rubbing her eyes- “I felt… a genjutsu…”

Her eyes landed on Naruto and she shirked, rushing forward and doing a preliminary check on her vitals, “What happened?”

“Look around- '' Sasuke said, eyes sharp, “THe stadium is under attack. The enemy used a genjutsu to knock everyone out, including you and Naruto."

“So that's what I felt-”

“How did you wake up?” He asked, frowning. She couldn't have flushed her chakra if she were unconscious.

“Oh… uh,” she pulled out a little written note- Sasuke could sense the layer of chakra embedded on it, “Kaka-sensei helped me make this… it reacts when my chakra gets tampered with. Kind of like an automatic genjutsu disruptor…” she laughed bitterly, pulling out a second one, “Ironically, I created it to help Naruto, since she's so horrible with genjutsu and all. But I guess I needed it just as much."

She stuck the tag on Naruto’s forehead, and bright blue eyes immediately snapped open. Naruto sat up with a panicked look on her face-

“Kaka! Something bad is going to happen!” 

She froze. Blinked. And look at her two teammates.

“Huh? Where did Kaka-sensei go?”

Sasuke opened his mouth- and immediately rushed forward, grabbing the girl by her jacket and throwing her to the side with him behind a row of seats. He heard the  _ thump  _ of weapons embedding themselves into their makeshift shield and let out a sigh of relief when he saw that Sakura was safe little ways down the aisle from them, apparently having the same reflex that he did.

She turned to check on him, but her eyes widened in horror at something just beyond them, “Sasuke, look out!”

A sand-nin was descending upon them. 

“Give up the Jinchuuriki-!”

Naruto gave an intake of breath and Sasuke pushed her away and span, lifting a kunai from his pouch and slashing at the man. 

“What do you want?” He barked, staring down the sand-nin.

The ninja remained quiet, taking out two swords and launching for an attack- Sasuke felt a presence behind them, but Naruto was already in action, fending off against the other sand-nin as Sasuke fought his own.

A blade passed by too-close to his cheek and he grunted- but just then, a kunai was thrown, forcing the sand-nin to move away. Sakura came stomping into the scene, a kunai in one hand while the other was posed in an academy level-seal. She flickered- and suddenly the girl was behind Sasuke's enemy and managing to get half of a slice down the side of his face before he twirled and kicked her in the stomach. Sasuke growled, ramping up his chakra and going through the necessary seals before a blaze of fire left his mouth. The Sunda-nin cried in anguish and went down in a mess of flames. His first priority was his injured teammate, though Sakura looked more winded than hurt. Thankfully.

He turned around and saw the other guy at Naruto’s feet. She had a snarl on her face and a look fo disgust flashed through her ruby-red eyes- when had he ever seen her like that, before? Maybe during the fight with Orochimaru… but, no, that was a different anger. Panicked and violent and desperate- but not abhorrent. Not like now.

“Fuckers,” she breathed, kicking the downed-nin for good measure and walking over to her teammates, “We should stick together,” she fidgeted, suddenly anxious. What was up with her? The sand-nin mentions she's a Jinchuuriki… and suddenly she's no longer the confident kunoichi Sasuke had come to, dare he say it, _respect_. 

He didn't like it. In fact, he hated it. 

He hated this version of Naruto. She was scared and helpless underneath her well-poised look of pure hatred,

His eyes narrowed and he nodded- “We’ll find who's responsible for this,” he agreed, his support silent and steady but clearly there. He wouldn't;t pry in the middle of a battle, but they would be talking.

Sasuke gave them both a pensive look and pointed up to the Kage's booth, “I think I already know,” she said, voice quivering slightly.

Sasuke smelt snake scales in the air. And he immediately knew just who the pale man fighting the Hokage was.

“Wait-” Naruto blinked, looking around, “But… we were just attacked by sand-guys, right? Why are they working with Orochi-freak?”

Sasuke grunted, “Why don't you ask Gaara, since the two of you seem to be such good friends.”

"Are you actually pulling this shit right now?" She glowered at him, but looked down at the arena where he was left, nonetheless. Sasuke’s eyes followed- and he saw the two sand-siblings form before picking up and carting off Gaara’s unconscious, slumped body.

“They’re running?” Naruto asked- “Oh, hell no!”

Sasuke reached out to stop her, but she was already running. He smirked and sent Sakura a look, one that already knew what he would say: when she got like this, there was really nothing they could do but follow.

  
  


They entered the forest. Naruto was pressing hard, just up ahead of them and Sasuke had to battle between moving faster to keep up with her, or staying behind to be with Sakura, Out of the two Kunoichi, Naruto was far better to take care of herself in a fight, yet… Sasuke wanted to be where the action was. 

~~ Where Naruto was. In case she got hurt. ~~

...

He didn't trust Gaara. He didn't trust that _demon._

Gaara was someone he wouldn't mind fighting- beating. He was strong, intimidating, and a good way for Sasuke to test his strength. Even if he was Naruto’s sloppy seconds. For whatever reason- Sasuke had an urge to just... fucking punch him. He irked him in a way that end didn't understand.

Suddenly, the sharp smell of blood filled the air and Sasuke flung himself forward-- “Naruto?” he called, heartbeat speeding up just as Sakura hurried to a stop beside him.

“Is she okay?” Sakura asked, unable to peer through the thick foliage the way that the Sharingan could.

“She better be,” he grunted back. If she died in a fight here… well, Sasuke would be upset. This was someone who he had put his respect in, after all… and no one who he respected could die such a lame death.

The sound of metal-hitting-metal caught his ears, and suddenly Sasuke was pushing through the thick leaves and sturdy benches to stop... in the middle of a fight. Naruto, and the male sand-sibling. His immediate thought was to attack the man, because- because, holy shit, Naurto had blood splattered on her face and left hand. There was an angry snarl on her face that seemed far less human than he was used to, and the only thing that stopped him from immediately releasing a wave of fire was the look of terror on the Sunda-nin's face.

The blood on Naruto belonged to that of her opponent. He was desperately clutching his side, where he assumed Naurot was taken a good chunk out of.

“Back off, you monster!” He hissed, staring at Naruto with slitted eyes. His other hand was moving- the Sharingan picked up the silky chakra threads that controlled his puppets.

Monster?

Sasuke growled, stomping forward and throwing a kunai right as the puppet made its move- the thing was thrown back slightly from the force of the weapon, giving Sasuke all the opportunity he needed to throw himself forward, blocking a second attack as he stepped in front of his teammate.

“You should already have this covered,” he teased, turning to give her a side-glance. She looked uninjured, but you never could tell with her. 

She scoffed at him, “And risk hurting Gaara? I’m a good teacher, I’ll have you know. I don't go around beating up my students.”

Teacher? He raised an eyebrow, but now wasn’t the time to question her strange… _antics_ , he’d call it. She was peculiar enough that she didn't always need a reason to say something.

“Fine. I’ll go it-” he was already halfway through his set of hand-seals by the time she whipped around to protest, and Sakura suddenly skipping forward, grabbing Naruto and hauling her out of the way as he let out a flamethrower from his mouth.

“Naruto!” He heard Sakura hiss. He chanced a look at then two of them, and saw a furious-looking Sakura searching Nafruto for injuries- and the blonde kunoichi was equally as furiously swatting her hands away.

"I'm fine!"

"You're covered in blood!" Sakura urged.

"It's not mine," Naruto huffed, "Besides-" she gestured to the two Suna-nin in front of them, "We have more important things happening! And if Sasuke is fighting, then _I'm_ fighting! No way in hell am I letting him take all the glory. Again."

He smirked at her sour expression. Cute.

Shit, did he just think of Uzumaki Naurot as cute? He wanted to stab something. Preferably Gaara.

Naruto launched herself forward, and Sasuke had half-a-mind to just leave his fire-stream as it was to teach her a lesson or two about running into things without thinking. He didn't, of course, and redirected the flames to the male sand-sibling as Naruto rushed the female. 

“She's a long-distance fighter,” he warned as Naruto leapt forward before returning to his own fight, the puppet was coming out to play again, and Sakura quickly came to his side.

“Two on isn't fair,” she said, flipping out a kunai, “I guess I’ll join in.”

Sasuke raised a brow, "As if I needed any help,” he joked but didn’t stop her from rushing forward and occupying the puppet, giving Sasuke the perfect chance to attack it’s the puppeteer. With his puppet occupied and no way to defend himself, he went down fast.

Just as Sasuke turned around, an explosion nearly knocked him off the branch- he had to dive to catch Sakura in time, or else the girl would be plummeting to the forest floor.

“Naruto!” Sakura hissed, more annoyed than worried (which was a relief- Sasuke couldn't stand all that tension. Why were girls always fighting?), “You almost hurt us!”

“Sorry!” The blonde yipped, yet she still formed another one of those exploding-balls she had recently grown a little too fond of using. Sasuke wondered where she learnt such a dangerous and powerful technique. Surely not Kakashi… since it seemed like a variant of the first ball-like Jutsu that she had used in Wave. And that had been her own design, something that she had created long before Kakashi had begun teaching them any proper techniques.

It couldn’t be the fox, could it…?

Either way, the rush of wind from the kunoichi’s giant battle fan wasn't enough to blow away the swirling mass of exploding chakra that Naruto had thrown, and it ended up blowing the girl right off the branch.

“Now!” Naruto screamed, victorious, punching her way to Gaara. 

Sasuke stood back, but he was tense. There was something wrong with him- his sand was trickling out of his gourd and roaming up his body forming hard surfaces of pale yellow with streaks and twirling lines of blue.

“W-what's wrong with him?” Sakura asked, fidgeting on the spot.

Naruto tilted her head like a curious dog and poked one of the clumps of sand on Gaara’s body experimentally- “Be careful, dobe,” Sasuke muttered, coming forward.

She looked up at him with knitted eyebrows and a pensive expression, “I… don't know what's wrong with him. I mean, I  _ think  _ it had to do with Shukaku…” She hummed  thoughtfully and continued to poke Gaara as an inhuman ear formed out of the sand. “Just- give me a sec.” 

She didn't even explain what the tell Shukaku was. Sasuke grumbled but didn't question it. Jinhcuuriki stuff. He didn't get it, really.

She sat crossed-legged and closed her eyes, and Sasuke thought maybe it was the first time another living being had ever seen the girl completely still. Even when she slept, she’d be moving. It was a pain whenever they had to camp out during missions… nobody could get any sleep but her.

He flinched when Gaara  _ screamed. _

He started moving, squirming and writhing as the sand began taking over more and more of his body- and when Sasuke got a glimpse of his eyes, he saw that they were no longer green but a  _ glowing gold,  _ with a pupil split and no longer round and instead taking a diamond shape. It reminded her of Naruto's own eyes, red and slitted like a cat. Or, rather, a fox.

“Shit-” he hissed, already knowing just what the fuck that was. The demon. The demon must have taken or his body- or something!

Gaara’s sand flooded the branch, and Sasuke went to jump away only to realize that Naruto  _ wasn’t moving _ \- and, of course, the dobe would only ever be still when she was needed in a fight! He rushed over and grabbed her by the back of the jacket, tossing her and himself off the branch just as the swarm of sand crushed where they once stood. He looked up and saw that Sakura was on the other side of him.

“What do we do?” She asked, breathless, the lone kunai shaking in her hand. Did it matter? It wasn't like a kunai could do much in a situation like this.

What  _ could  _ they do? No matter how confident Sasuke was- would they actually be able to win this kind of fight? Naruto was down and not coming up, for some reason, and she (he begrudgingly admitted) had the rawest power of any of them. And the most demon experience. 

He could feel his eyes spin to life and the world shock in clarity; the Sharingan! Would he be able to win using the Sharingan?! 

He could feel his blood and chakra coursing towards his eyes- he flipped down on the branch just as an opening in the sand came up, and flickered his gaze towards the monsters. Their eyes locked, gold on black, and he shot chakra to the nerves at the ends of his eyes.

Gaara froze.

* * *

Naruto blinked awake in her seal, panic taking hold.

“Kurama-” she said, running over to him.

He already had an annoyed yet also grim expression on his face,  **“I know,”** he said.

“What do we do?”

The fox rubbed his chin and closed his eyes, taking a deep inhale,  **“Destroy him.”**

She blanched. Kurama took one look at her and laughed-  **“In a fight, kit. You need to fight him. Subdue him. Then, calm him down. Shukaku is able to easily gain control of his Jinchuuriki because of how unstable his seal is… but, for the same reason, it’s easy to take that control away.”**

"Oh…” Her brows pinched, “I just have to beat him up and yell at him? Okay- that's like, what I do all the time, anyways!” She beamed. It didn’t sound too hard.

Kurama jostled for a second and frowned. Naruto, too, had felt the world shake- what was that?

**“Kit,”** her attention was immediately captured by his commanding voice,  **“I know you managed to attach yourself to me rather easily, but Shukaku is… different. It may not be as easy as you think to calm him down. I may be full of hatred, but at least I am still rational. Shukaku doesn't have that same luxury."**

She left her mind, finding herself slunk against a different tree branch than the one she had started meditating in. She blinked, hazy and disorientated… was her body moved during meditation? That’d never happened before… she felt like she was gonna puke.

Wobbly standing up- she saw a scratched up Sakura across from her and Sasuke leaping down the branch, Sharingan spinning and blazing and tearing a hole in her brain. Suddenly the urge to puke grew so much stronger.

Sasuke slammed down and made eye contact with Gaara- who suddenly froze. Naruto hissed under her breath, knowing  _ exactly  _ what was happening- and while her first instinct was to fight, to help her teammate, she… couldn't move. If she jumped down there, what would happen to her? What would happen to Kurama?

“Naruto?”

It was Sakura. There was a thump as the girl rushed over to her and bent down, grabbing at her arm. 

“You alright?” Sakura asked, nervous, “You started meditating but wouldn't get up, and now… what's wrong?”

Naruto shook her head, “Just- sick.” She wanted to tell the truth, that even the sight of the Sharingan made her all woozy and on-edge, but she didn’t. She couldn’t say that in front of Sasuke… it wasn’t his fault. He wasn’t pointing it at her, trying to control her. He was trying to  _ protect  _ her.

She couldn’t hold that against him. Even if every single instinct in her body flared that he was dangerous. The enemy. Manipulative. Vile, disgusting, evil.

Okay, maybe she was channelling Kurama a bit too much. Sasuke... Sasuke was her friend, and she was deciding to trust him. 

She pushed herself up, resting her hands on her knees for balance. She only then realized that Sakura wasn’t satisfied with such a vague comment, and sent the pinkette a shaky smile, “Shukaku’s chakra is kind of riling up Kurama. But Sasuke seemed to… calm him down, so I think I’ll be alright.”

Sakura didn’t keep away, though, and instead grabbed her arm and helped her jumped down to Sasuke. 

“What's going on?” Sakura asked, “Is… everything okay?”

Sasuke didn't turn to face them (he couldn't- had to keep eye contact) but nodded.

“We just need to calm him down,” Naruto said, wobbling a bit as she walked closer- closer to Sasuke, “Let me handle it.”

“Naruto-”

“Shut it, bastard. I got this. Me and Gaara have talked a bit before, and- he's just hurt and confused and has a shitty seal. It’s not his fault.”

Nobody tried to argue with her, after that. Naruto smirked. Good. They were on her side. She trusted them. They were her friends.

(Why did she have to keep relating that?)

(... Probably for the sea reasons that he had to keep lying to them.)

She walked forward, cautiously. Gaara was all frozen and stiff in a natural way, and she kind of cringed at the sight. Sure glad that it wasn't her- and that some of the only people with Sharingan happened to be her precious people.

She stepped forward, hand out as if she really were taming a beast- “Gaara,” she said, slowly, “We’re not here to hurt you. None of us  _ want  _ to hurt you. I know you got hurt in our fight, but that's just cause I’m awesome-”

“Naruto!” Sakura hissed.

Naruto laughed and sped up her pace. Gaara’s eyes snapped to hers- but she realized they were green now, and not gold. She smiled. “I know some dodgy shit is going down, but that doesn’t include us. I’m only here because I’m worried about you. You’re hurt and scared and I bet, no, I know-” she remembered his story, and felt her heart clench, “That the people of your village don’t treat you real good.”

She finally made it up to him and bravely put a hand on one of those chunks of hardened sand. She patted it awkwardly and smiled. 

“But I will. Because we're friends, right?”

Gaara’s pupils turned back into circles. She felt his muscles go loose and Sasuke must have released his hold because Gaara slumped over onto her. She happily caught him. 

_See? he isn't all bad._ She wanted to say, she wanted to point and scream and chastise her teammates for ever even _thinking_ that Gaara was anything more than a scared child who needed somebody's support. This wasn’t the kid they first met, the bloodthirsty, unstable Jinchuuriki who was seen as more demon than human.

This was the kid who told her his story, who hugged her and who wanted to cry but held back his tears. This was the kid who had been abused all his life.

She patted his back, unsure whether or not he wanted her to pull away and if he was only leaning on her because he was physically unable to do anything else. Still, she patted him. Kurama’s chakra flooded through her, mixing with her own and flowing into Gaara. She didn’t know why (demonic chakra should make another demonic chakra worse, right?) but the harshness of Gaara’s own network began to ebb away until it was nothing but his usual chakra.

As she was pulling away, she heard the telltale thump of two people landing behind them. She wasn't concerned; she trusted Sasuke and Sakura to be watching her back. 

It was the sand siblings. Not all too surprising.

(She felt another chakra source… hiding in the trees behind them-)

(How did she get the other's attention without giving it away that she knew?)

She stared at the sand siblings, eyes sharp and hands suddenly no longer even caring how awkward it was- she wasn't letting go of Gaara.

“You… managed to calm him down?” The sister asked, eyes going wide.

“Not with any help from you,” she hissed back.

“W-well don't blame us! We don’t know what to do with demons!” The brother yelled, stomping forward like a child on the verge of a tantrum, “Unlike you- you-”

Meatal whizzed through the air and thunked on the tree right beside his head. They all knew Sasuke missed on purpose.

“Demons are actually pretty nice,” Naruto said, rubbing Gaara’s back, “It’s the humans you gotta look out for.” she spat.

(She felt the hidden chakra twinge. She knew that chakra. But... just who…?)

“Yeah! Get outta here!” Sakura called, raising a fist- “We don't want nothing to do with you… so go cause trouble somewhere else!”

“Heh,” Sasuke smirked, “What they said.”

The sand siblings started sweating, knowing fully well that if they couldn’t take on the three of them the first time, they wouldn’t be able to do it, now.

“We… can't leave without Gaara,” the girl finally said.

Naruto looked down at him- small and defenseless in her arms. “What are you going to do with him?”

“... Flee.”

“What about your invasion?” Sakura asked.

“A failure. The Sound betrayed us.”

It sounded like Sound was still out there, attacking the village. Naruto bit her lip- was Jiji alright? No. He was strong, he was the fucking Hokage, for crying out loud! He’d be just fine. (She would still try to make it back to him as fast as she could.)

“All we want to do is a retreat, but we can't leave without Gaara!” She was starting to grow impatient, looking all around.

Naruto wondered if she felt that chakra source, too. If this was an ambush or a trick.

Gaara moved and immediately stole all her attention. He pushed away from her and stumbled to his feet towards his siblings. 

“We’re leaving,” he said, quietly.

All eyes fell to Naruto. Even Gaara looked at her, daring her to try and stop him. Sasuke, too, though it seemed he wanted her to let him leave.

Why would she make him stay? Why was she the one they were delegating the decision to, in the first place? She wasn't Gaara's keeper, she was his friend.

“It’s his choice,” she shrugged, “If he wants to leave then I can’t stop him.”

He turned around and gave her a nod. She nodded back. It seemed as if, after everything, they had some sense of comradery. They better- there were only nine Jinhcuuriki in the world, and they had to stick up for each other. No one else would.

They left and Naruto was immediately approaching her teammates, “To the left,” she whispered, eyes carefully staying on the retreating sand-trio, “They’ve been watching for a while now.

Sasuke hissed, about to say something-

When a storm of metal and snakes rained upon them. Naruto managed to avoid the snakes (what she was focusing on) but took a deep kunai to the thigh in the process. She hissed and moved as the attacker dropped down-

_Kabuto_.

She knew something had been wrong with that guy.

“That looks bad, Naruto-chan. I’m a medic, y’know. Do you want me to patch you up?”  
Was he even _trying_ to tick her? How stupid did he think she was?

“Back off, creep. I can smell snakes on you- you… you’re working for Orochimaru, aren't you!”

That's what was off about him; his chakra. It was Konoha, all leaves and sunshine and peace… but it was also tainted by something. Something dark. Something that felt like poison. Which she knew pretty well, considering how Kurama’s chakra was poisonous. It reminded her of the silky texture of Orochimaru's chakra- all scales and positions and hidden killer-intent. He was just waiting for her to loosen her guard so that he could stick his fangs into her.

Wait-

Something coursed through her veins, and she felt a sickening sensation drop to the bottom of her stomach like a rock.

The kunai! Fuck, it was positioned, wasn't it?!

**_“Kit- hold on! I’ve never seen a poison like this before…!”_ **

She ripped the offending weapon from her thigh, but the world was already dangerously tilting. She cried out as she hit the ground, her entire body going numb, vision fading.

**_“It’s… blocking my chakra…”_ **

The wound on her leg wasn't closing. She tried to use her hands to press down, to stop the bleeding and use chakra to clot it, but…  Sakura’s hands found it, instead. Kabuto was rushing forward, but Sasuke was, as well.

“Naruto!” Sakura cried, shaking her as best as she could with one hand as the other tended to her wound- “Naruto! What's wrong?”

She couldn't speak. Her eyes were closing entirely not of her own free will. She couldn't feel Kurama, nor his chakra. She couldn't even feel her own.

Just what the hell had he done to her?  
There was a low chuckle- not from Kabuto.

The world went dark.

* * *

Orochimaru stepped out from the darkness.

There wasn't anything Sasuke could do. Kabuto was fast and  _ strong _ \- he definitely wasn't a Genin or anything close. He probably wasn't even at Chunin level, but above that. Since when had he gotten so strong? How? How was it that Sasuke never noticed, and yet Naruto did? 

Strangely, in the middle of a fight, his mind flashed back to their first meeting with the man. Naruto was looking at him strangely- he thought it was just in the presence of someone he knew. Someone smart. Did she know?

_ The room was crowded. They had been approached by a Konoha-nin that Sasuke didn’t recognize, one that claimed to have taken the exam several times… always failing. He must have been some kind of loser- the especially bad kind, for Sasuke to never had heard of him. Naruto was a loser, but everyone in the village knew her. This guy? He wasn’t anything. He was just boring. _

That was the worst kind of person. So useless and plain nobody even knew them. 

_ Still, he had good information. He’d take it- he’d take whatever advantage he could in the coming exams, since… there was suddenly an abundance of people far too strong to be standing in his way. He would beat them all. He would prove his worth. _

_ Naruto left while they were looking at Gaara’s card. She just suddenly up and left. What, did she not know to take advice when given to her? That's probably why she always failed at the Academy.  _

_ She went over and walked to him.  _

_ Sasuke hummed. _

_ “Show me Uzumaki Naruto.” _

_ Everyone looked confused, Kabuto especially. His eyes turned to the girl in question, eyebrow-raising, “Isn’t that your teammate?” _

_ He grunted and lifted his chin, “Just do it.” _

_ “Fine…” Kabuto sighed, pulling out another card and twirling it around, pushing chakra into it. The surface shimmered. Naruto… _

_ What was with that ID photo? Her face was covered in weird red face-paint with big black whiskers on her cheeks and a swirl on her forehead. Why had she been allowed to take a photo like that? Why would she even want to? _

_ Sasuke imagined all the girls would obsess over how good they looked. Not Uzumaki Naruto.  _

_ Then again, she had always been weird. She didn't act like much of a girl at all.  _

_ He shifted closer, suddenly aware that there was information on the card he didn’t know. _

_ Her name and surname were usual. The number of missions was the same as his own: twenty-five D-rank, three C-rank, and one A-rank. The other genin exclaimed at that final one- he and Sakura didn’t flinch.  _

_ Those stats were… strange. Her power was… frankly, unbelievable.  _

_ “These numbers can't be right-” he commented, leaning down to touch the little graph, “There's no way Naruto is this strong.” _

_ The power-stat was higher than Gaara’s. The speed close to Lee's. The defence and strategy portions were low, of course- then, he looked to the other chart. The one that showed her move-set. T _ _ aijutsu was high, as one would expect with her. Ninjutsu was fair- she did have shadow clones, which was a B-ranked technique, as well as whatever the hell it was that she had invited herself. And her Genjutsu-skills were nonexistent. _

_ Then, the last two categories were surprising.  _

_ The tool category was strangely high. Which was weird, because he had never seen her use anything other than the classic kunai and shuriken. She didn't even use ninja-wire! _

_ The section for kekkei-genkai was strangely empty- but didn’t Kakashi say something about Naruto possibly having a kekkei-genkai on their way back from Wave? Or… was that a… lie? He didn’t want to think that they all thought they could get away with lying to him. _

_ “This information is wrong,” he said, especially looking at those last two categories- th0ugh he did have a bone to pick with whoever thought Naruto was faster and strong than him. Naruto, of all people. The dead-last of their year! _

_ “Um,” Kabuto rubbed his neck, “Th _ _ is must be a faulty card,” he quickly said, picking it up. “Some of my information comes from… guesswork,” it sounded like a pitiful excuse, a lie. What was he hiding? _

_ Sauuske snatched the card away. _

_ Under the section labelled as “notes,” there was, well, a note. _

**_Known Jinchuuriki. Do not engage in combat._ **

_ “What. Does. This. Mean?” _

_ She was hiding something. He had always known- always had an idea that she was hiding something from him and Sakura. Now, he thought that Kakashi was in on her secret, too. _

_ Now, he had proof. This card. _

_ "What the hell is a Jinchuuriki?!" _

_ “I…” Kabuto grabbed the card, “I’m not sure. I didn’t make this card, I just took it from the database. So, I don't know what all f the information on I means." _

_ Naruto shouted something- and Kabuto was attacked. Shortly after, the examiner walked in and started demanding they take their seats. _

_ Guess that was the end of that. _

Sasuke had to flip back as Kabuto approached, his hand glowing green from chakra, but somehow was deadly sharp. He hissed, bits of his hair being cut from how close the attack was.

Jinchuuriki…

That was what they called it when a demon was sealed into a person. 

He knew the entire time. Ever since he first laid eyes on Naruto he knew exactly what she was. How many others were there? Naruto mentioned that a lot of people knew- but she had been so vague about it that he and Sakura were still in the dark about the whole thing. Gaara was one, too, but that was basically all they knew. They had no purchase here.

He grunted and threw out an assortment of weapons, activating his Sharingan and preparing a basic lightning attack- something he and Kakashi had been working on over the break. Turns out he had an affinity for both fire and lightning.

There was a low chuckle- Sakura screamed and he heard a painful  _ thump,  _ and the few seconds he could spare to look back provided him with an unconscious Naruto and a Sakura who had been heavily thrown against a tree. She slumped, her hands still somehow shakily holding a kunai as she tried to protect their downed teammate. Sasuke cursed. There was no way she could keep fighting like that- how many hits had she taken already? Sakura finally dropped the kunai and Sasuke has to stop himself from showing his anxiety.

They had to retreat- there was no other option. Even as much as he was powerful- there was no way he would be able to win this fight alone. Not with two unconscious teammates to protect.

Orochimaru moved towards Naruto, slinking closer as his hands started to glow purple. 

Sasuke wouldn't let him.

He charged- gaining a nasty slide across his forearm as he did, but it was worth it to shove Naruto away from Orochimaru just as he went to slam something into her stomach. He growled, grabbing her by her jacket. His eyes flashed- if he could grab Sakura, too… 

Naruto was sweating and squirming. What the hell had even happened to her? Position? he thought she was immune!

“What do you want with us?” Sasuke growled.

Orochimaru licked his lips, “Don’t you already know, little boy? That girl has a  _ tremendous- _ ” the man shiver in delight- “Power hidden inside of her. I just want to make use of her talents, that's all.”

Sasuke shuffled backwards- they were after the Kyuubi. He should have guessed. Naruto had some emotional issues about the demon, and, as far as he could tell, they all stemmed from what  _ other people _ thought of the demon, rather than the fox itself. He could imagine it quite clearly, people wanting to turn her into a weapon.

It made him inexplicably angry. Not just the thought that there were people that wanted to use her, but the idea that she had this complex- this massive weight on her shoulders - that's he had never told them about. She didn't feel like they were worthy enough to know about her problems.

Just how much was she hiding from them- from _him._

Orochimaru slunk forward as if knowing he didn’t have the will to fight him- he couldn't hold off both Kabuto and Orochimaru at once, which would be leaving Naruto and Sakura open to whatever one didn’t engage him. 

His eyes flickered again and he ducked when Orochimaru made to grab Naruto, running under that arm and immediately skittering towards Sakura- and he was just seconds away from grabbing her, too, when he felt a tug on his charge. Naruto flew out from under him just as he grabbed hold of Sakura and dove, realizing too late to stop him momentum and flying off of the branch.

He heard her  **_scream._ **

He dropped Sakura. She was safe; they weren't after her. Why would they be? Unless she was also hiding things from them. At this point- when  _ Naruto  _ of all people held dangerous secrets, he didn't know what to expect. 

Sasuke ran up the side of the tree so fast he was practically flying, tearing through the air and his eyes  _ gleamed.  _ Naruto’s shirt had been pulled up, and Orochimaru's’ glowing fingertips slammed into her stomach- and he realized just then that it was where her seal was located. She writhed in pain for several seconds, having probably woken from the shock, clawing at the hand in vain before going limp for a third time that day.

Sasuke landed hard, immediately moving forward- Orochimaru was not reading his fangs, leaning forward to her neck like a vampire having found its prey. He didn’t let him. He’d already done too much harm to his team. 

He didn't even bother fighting- all they could do was  _ flee.  _

He grabbed Naruto and jumped down. Sakura was semi-conscious, he shoved her awake and grabbed her hand, assisting her in running as much as he could… it wasn’t like he’d be able to carry the both of them- they were practically the same size as him.

They ran from the forest fast- and, for some reason, they weren't pursued. Sakura had fully revived herself by the time they had made it back to Konoha, but the pace was still in a state of chaos. There were battles everywhere, and they just barely managed to avoid them as they made their way to the hospital, which was thankfully free from the siege.

Sasuke dropped off his teammates and then left for the fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh looks like shit is going down
> 
> also Sasuke is kind of toxic   
> oof  
> I mean as much as I would like to make this a cute love story between the two of them... uh, Sasuke is a little too fucked up for that kind of stuff. At least for now. And that's not even mentioning Naruto's own problems- which are somewhat addressed in this chapter. I don't think I've ever *explicitly* stated some of her worst flaws before, so there they are!! Haha, it finally took Sasuke for them to come out.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I have no idea why this chapter is so short?  
> oof
> 
> I'm really short on time right now, so I'm not going to be editing this chapter as much as I usually do. I'm sorry I haven't been replying to comments... uh, work right now is really rough.

Her eyes snapped open.

And she was immediately hit by the feeling of _emptiness._

She rolled over, clutching her stomach as she felt the residual pain of… whatever the fuck happened to her. Did her stomach explode, or something? It sure _felt_ like it did. 

She groaned and rubbed it, eyes slipping shut. She automatically started feeling for Kurama- usually, he could offer some kind of comfort, either through his healing, or rushing her with adrenaline or chakra. 

Nothing.

Her eyes fluttered open. She tried to reach out for him, again. And, again, she got nothing. Absolutely nothing.

It was like… there was only her mind. And not his. Or the seal. Or _anything_.

There was _just her._

She flipped in her bed to sit up, crossing her legs and starting to meditate. Nothing happened. She didn't immediately fall back into the seal like she had learned to do in a matter of seconds over the years. She leaned further and further into her subconscious, but couldn't find anything. Not even a lingering trace of chakra. Well, none that belonged to her.

What… what was going on?  
The door creaked open. She couldn't bring herself to care.

Her breathing quickened and her heart sped and her mind was whirling, she couldn't think straight, couldn't see him, couldn't talk to him couldn’t feel him couldn't couldn't couldn't _couldn't_ -

“Naruto?!”

Hands. Grabbing her arms. She immediately threw the person off and they slammed against the hard flooring of the room with a hardy _slap._

_She didn’t care._

She stood up and tumbled off the bed herself, slamming her head against the ground- the world titled when she stood and her face was wet and she knew the wound wasn't immediately closing _like it should have-_

“Naruto, wait!”

The hands didn't even get a chance to grab her- she was darting under them and past them and towards the door because she needed to get home, she needed to get to her training room and she needed to find Kurama-

What if he wasn't even there, anymore?

What if the seal had come undone?

~~That would be terrible.~~

It was everything she had ever wanted. Everything _they_ ever wanted. Her promise would have been fulfilled.

~~She didn’t want him to go.~~

Kurama would be free. At last.

~~It would be the first time in her life truly ever being alone.~~

They’d never let anyone take him, again. 

~~Things would never be the same between them. She would lose her identity. After all, what was she, other than a Jinchuuriki? That was all everyone else saw her as, and Naruto couldn't admit that she only saw herself like that, too. The cross she bore was the only thing visible about her.~~

She grabbed at her stomach and _screamed-_ the door slammed open and nearly knocked her off her feet but the hands were faster. They were different than the one before- she still struggled and spat and hissed and clawed but another set grabbed her and held her down-

“What's wrong with her?” A male voice asked. Threat. Her instincts flared.

She was alone. Kurama couldn't protect her. She didn’t know how to operate without him. She didn’t know how to fight without him. What use was her chakra, alone? She needed him. They were a team.

She had never been alone before-!

“I don’t know! When I came into the room she was hyperventilating!”

Sasuke flashed, bright red and angry and swirling and for some reason the sight didn't make her as sick as it had before. She still screamed and kicked- she only managed to hit one from them.

“The seal!” The male voice was a little further away, but quickly getting louder. She was rushed again. “I remember, now! Orochimaru did something to her seal!”

“Is she… what if she becomes like… Gaara?”

“She won’t.” Male. Threat.

... Threat...?

The hands kept such a good hold on her that she knew struggling was useless. What was the point? She didn't have Kurama's strength. She was just plain Uzumaki Naruto, now.

She couldn't hear him. Couldn't feel him.

She was alone.

Alone. Alone. Alone. Alone.

“Naruto! It’s alright- you’re not alone! Just- were here with you, okay?”

She stopped.

… Sakura?

Her eyes pried themselves open and suddenly the world wasn't a swirl of colours and nonsense anymore. Her back had been slammed against the ground, at some point, and she stared up at the ceiling, breathing heavily.

“Naruto,” Sasuke sounded relieved, for some strange reason. Why would Sasuke need to be relieved? She blinked, watching as his face came into focus as he leaned over top of her.

“Are you feeling better now?” Sakura asked, coming in from the right.

Naruto blinked. Then nodded.

“You were freaking out.”

She sniffled- “I can’t feel him.”

Sakura stared at her blankly, “Who?”

“Kurama. He's gone. I can't feel him,” she said as if everyone in the world should know that- she clutched at her stomach as the world became deadly quiet, “He's gone. I… what happened? Was he… released? Was the seal broken?”

Sasuke’s eyebrows pinched, “No. But Orochimaru did something to it.”

Naruto sat up, and the world span. Sakura steadied her, and she took a big gulp of air, not realizing how much she needed it., It felt like her lungs were burning, crying out for oxygen they weren't being given. 

She pulled up her shirt- his seal wasn't there. It had always been there. Or, well, it wasn't when she was younger, but since she started using his chakra it became more like a permanent tattoo.

She channelled her chakra and stuck her tongue out, unable to dip into any of Kurama’s chakra.

“It’s like it's all gone,” she said aloud to herself.

“What's gone?”

“His chakra. There was… so much of it. But it’s all gone. I can't feel him. I can't talk to him. I tried to enter the seal, but it wouldn't let me.”

She channelled more and more of her chakra… and suddenly black began to swirl to life on her stomach- forming the seal she so intimately knew. She had drawn it out thousands of times since he first discovered it, never truly understanding what everything meant, but that was changing with her recent sealing lessons.

But ether wasn't something different. Something new. Five somethings, to be exact. Little swirls at the five different points of her seal- but she had no idea what it meant or where they had come from. Wait, Sasuke said something about… Orochimaru. Since when did that freak crawl back into Konoha?

“He messed with my seal,” she said, hollowly, figuring out exactly that they were- another seal, on top of the one she already had. And they had enough trouble trying to break that seal, as it was! “He added a new seal, one that's blocking me from Kurama.”

Sakura rubbed Naruto’s arm, trying to comfort her- Naruto shook her off, frowning, deep in thought.

Maybe Pervy-sage could help…

“Why would he do that?” Sasuke suddenly asked, his own eyebrows pinched.

“What do you mean? It’s because Kurama makes me too strong.”

“Yeah. Exactly. The strength you get from the fox is what made Orochimaru target you, in the first place.”

Naruto shrugged. Yeah, it made sense. But…

“Nobody wants a weapon that's too powerful to control.”

Sasuke grunted.

Sakura was frowning, she made to reach for Naruto, but pulled back, “You’ve thought about that a lot, huh?”

Naruto rolled her eyes, but she felt a strange heat that she had to force down with sarcasm, “It’s only one of my biggest problems.”

She still felt all dizzy and frizzy, the tips of her fingertips were buzzing and her veins thumped with adrenaline. Her head spun and her eyes ached and her throat was raw and what the fuck was even happening?

He had done something to her seal.

What if… what if he had _hurt_ Kurama? She couldn't even imagine it. He was so strong- always there for her, always prepared. He was a rock in the ocean. A foundation she could always stand on. Always know would be under her feet.

Now?

She curled up, her hands protectively hugging her stomach. 

“I don’t know what to do,” she whispered.

Sakura rubbed her back, “we’ll work something out, the three of us.”

Sasuke grunted, sitting down on the floor as the two of them, “Don’t forget about us, dobe. I mean, I help you with everything else, why not this?” He smirked.

She stuck her tongue out at him, but the playfulness wasn't there. She felt hollow.

“I need to see Pervy Sage.”

“Pervy… sage?” 

“Yeah. He became my teacher during the break… he's a super pervert and tried peeping on me and Hinata in the bath- but he's a sealing master and promised to teach me, so I let it slide!”

Sasuke’s eyebrow twitched, and suddenly the air was filled with killing intent. Actually, she thought maybe Sakura was releasing some of her own, as well.

“And he’ll help, how?” Sasuke asked.

She huffed, “I said that he was a sealing master, didn’t I? He’ll… probably be able to release whatever seal was put on me!” She perked up- because that was totally true! This whole mess would be resolved in, like, an hour!

She couldn't wait to talk to Kurama, again. They had to plot their revenge scheme. 

Orochimaru? Dead. His house? Destroyed. His face? Ugly.

Oh, wait, that last one was already true.

She snorted to herself, imagining that Kurama would laugh at that. Or, maybe he’d call her stupid- but, like, he’d totally be laughing on the inside. He was too proud of a guy to show it, but he had the sense of humour of a five-year-old… just like her! That was probably why they were so great together…

“Naruto?” Sakura tugged at her sleeve.

Ah. She had gotten caught up in her thoughts.

She pushed herself off the floor and wobbled slightly- thankfully Sakura was there to steady her by the arms, giving her a second to regain her balance before she started walking. Sasuke followed along… Naruto only noticed then that he had a smear of red under his nose… had she done that to him?

She stopped.

“Uh, guys…” she faced the ground, face heating up. She… she wasn't used to this kind of thing! And- and usually, she had Kurama. He was always giving her silent support, even with things he thought were stupid. Like apologizes. “Uh. I’m sorry about freaking out.”

Sakura smiled, “it’s okay, Naruto. You were just freaked out, and… it’s fine!” she seemed too chipper- almost forced. 

It only made her feel worse.

Sasuke made a noise, and she turned to see him stuffing his hands in his pockets, “Don’t do it again,” was all he said- but she could sense the annoyance and worry hidden beneath his voice.

She grinned. “Yeah. I just thought…” she swallowed when they both looked at her- “Never mind. Let's go find Pervy Sange.”

They both immediately looked annoyed, again.

She laughed and led the way out.

_She didn't realize she had more than just Kurama to lean on._

* * *

Finding Jiraiya wasn't hard.

He was in the place she had first guessed: the hot spring center of town. Finding him peeping in a bathhouse, also, wasn't much of a surprise.

Sakura still tried to hit him for it- and failed. Sasuke had this weird, hard-grip on her arm, almost like whenever he tried to help her out in a fight. Which she didn't understand, because there wasn't any fight happening.

“Hey, Pervy Sage,” her tone was light, but her eyes flickered with certain wickedness as they met the man's own.

He promptly jumped back and started rambling through a billion excuses all at once- most of them had to do with his stupid book, or whatever, but really, she didn’t care.

“You get a pass, this time, pervy,” she said, scratching the back of her neck. A little tendril of anxiety escaped her heart and began creeping up her chest, the back of her neck. She felt like throwing up.

Why?

Because of the tiny little possibility that he wouldn't be able to fix the seal.

Pervy Sage seemed to note the tension in the air and stilled, eyes narrowing, “Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital?”

She shrugged, “they sprung me.”

He trudged forward and took a good look at her- hand moving towards her head up stopping short of touching her, “You bashed your head in.”

“It’ll heal.”

His eyes flickered to Sasuke and Sakura- “-er."  
“They know," was all she could say.

“You told them?”

She nodded.

Sakura hissed, “We're right here. YOu shouldn't talk about people like they aren't there, it's rude."

Both Naruto and Pervy Sage shrugged at the same time.

“Kyuubi should have healed that, by now.”

Her lips pursed, “That's kind of why we're here-” she felt awkward doing it, but she had to lift up her sweatshirt to show the seal- well, she had to also channel some chakra, which was annoying. She kind of missed having it out all the time… like a cool tattoo, or something! “Orochi-freak did something to my seal, added an overlay, or something. It’s blocking me from Kyuubi’s chakra.”

  
Jiraiya hummed and squatted, getting a closer look at her stomach- Sasuke stepped forward to do _something_ (probably dangerous and stupid), but she swatted him away- “He's a seal master,” she hissed at him, still swatting at his hand, “He needs to, y’know, look at the seal. Calm down, my dude."

Jiraiya hummed and rubbed his him- “Yeah, a five-trigram seal was added… it should be what's blocking you from dipping into Kyuubi’s chakra.”

“Can you release it?” She asked, fidgeting with the end of her sleeve. 

“Yeah, sure I can.”

She felt like there was a “But?” attached to that.

The man grinned at her- he actually had the audacity to _grin_ , “I think this is a perfect opportunity for you to release it, yourself.”

… What?

He laughed. “Exactly what I said, Naruto!” He patted her head mockingly, “You’re the one who wanted to learn the selling arts, yeah? Well, this is the perfect motivation to learn!”

She shoved away his hand and growled, “I think that actually wanting to learn in the first place is a perfectly fine motivation. The only reason I didn't start was that you never taught me anything!"

He tsked at her, “And here I was, about to take you out on a training trip!” he groaned, pretending to wipe away a tear, “Your tireless sensei, working his ass off you plan out our trip… and you speak to me like that?! My, I might as well go find a new pupil right now! Someone who would actually respect me, unlike you, you annoying brat. How about you, miss?" He asked, looking at Sakura with... delirious eyes. Naruto smacked him before Sakura had the chance.

“Leave her out of this. Now, what training trip?” She asked, "Like, do you mean we'll leave the village? Where would we even go? Isn't it dangerous for me to be outside?" The looming threat that Roshi and Han had told her about sparked in her mind.

“Anywhere. We'll be tracking someone while on the road- news flash, I was given the task of finding the next Hokage,” he sighed, sounding far too weary for his own good, “I figured we’d as well make something of it.”

She paused, backing up so that she could stare at all three of them at the same time- “What do you mean, _new Hokage_? What… Jiji is still… he's the Hokage! We can't have a new one!”

“She doesn't know?”

Sakura shook her head, “We… I…” she gulped, “Never had the chance to tell her. She was freaking out, and-”

“Well good job! I’m starting to freak out again, Sakura! What, are you just going to keep me in the dark even longer?!”

Sasuke ended up being the one to step forward, hands up, placating, “He… he fought Orochimaru during the attack on Konoha…”

“He's…” her mouth went dry. Sasuke didn't even have to finish his sentence. 

Dead.

There was only one explanation- and honestly, she should have already known. The last she had seen Orochimaru and Jiji, they were fighting. If Orochimaru had managed to get away, unscathed... if he had managed to get them, somehow, and attack... well, she didn't think Jiji would allow Orochimaru to hurt anyone in Konoha. She should have guessed it earlier- Orochimaru killed the Hokage. Then, immediately, he tried to do the same to them.

She shivered. Not in fear, no mourning- but in rage.

How many people were Orochimaru going to take from her?

She was going to kill the bastard. She was going to rip out his stomach and see how _he_ liked it.

(Huh. Funny, how she was able to be so murderous without Kurama's chakra.)

“He's not dead!” Jiraiya quickly said, filling her with hope, "Orochimaru wasn't strong enough to actually defeat the Sandamine. He was only able to wound him..."

Naruto perked up immediately. She- she had been wrong?!

“But…”

She drooped.

“He has been hospitalized. The doctors say he’ll make it through- but I was requested to bring back my old teammate Tsunade, who also happens to be one of the best medic-nin in the world.”

The relief visibly spread through her. She slumped a little, leaning on Sakura heavily- she hissed and clawed at Naruto like a cat, but didn’t push her off. 

“But… what about the whole… next Hokage-thing?”

“Tsunade has also been nominated to become the next Hokage since Sarutobi won't be able to continue, even _after_ he recovers. The old man was due for retirement soon, anyways. And the only other person qualified to take on the role would be, well, me.” Jiraiya scarce the back of his neck and grinned lazily, "And I'm sure you could guess how that would turn out."

...

They all knew that would be a disaster.

Jiraiya laughed at the looks on their faces, "So!" he clapped his hands merrily, "We're - well, Naruto and I - are going to be tracking down my old teammate Tsunade! We'll convince her to come back and take the hat... so I don't have to! And, I thought it would be a good opportunity for us to have some one-on-one training. We can start with sealing since you clearly don't want to learn _anything else._ "

By the tone of his voice, Naruto could already tell that they would be having a serious conversation. She sheepishly laughed, "Okay. Cool. I want to learn sealing more than anything, so I'm okay with that. But- isn't it unsafe?"

The threat. The orientation collecting Bijuu. Anyone crazy enough to have a goal like that had to be packing some serious firepower.

"Give me some credit, kid! I'm one of the three legendary Sannin!"

Of course. A pervert and an idiot. She was _so_ safe. Naruto took a silent comfort in that they would be fixing her seal. Even more so, if she learned enough sealing...

Well, she would play it by ear.

"Fine. I guess I'll just have to trust you. So… when do we leave?”


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was about at this point where I started to rush through the story a little bit... and I *think* you can tell in this chapter. Uuuh oopsie? I was really excited to write "Shippuden stuff", but I never actually got around to writing that, so we'll see how this goes haha  
> This chapter is honestly kind of OOC. I remember writing this and thinking "nobody is ever going to read this so I can be as stupid as I want" and... this is the product of that. Haha. Oops. I'm cringing already. I've made some edits to make it a little less OOC, but I can't stay for long so I'm doing it quick!!
> 
> also
> 
> Just a heads up in advance that I might actually have to take a hiatus after ch. 27 because... Turn out I *never actually finished the story*. I had estimated how many chapters I would write, added the chapters to my document outline, and wrote the ending of the story while never finishing the gap. I was actually at the climax of an arc when I stopped, so I might need to take a couple of weeks to finish the story when we get there. Just letting yall know in advance!!

The training trip started out fine.

... 

By fine, Naruto meant she didn’t want to  _ murder  _ Jiraiya. 

Now?

Well, she was sitting in a hotel room in some rinky-shit-hole-town with no sensei (he was probably drunk,) and just some stupid book to help her. The man had immediately gotten on her nerves, giving her some stupid tongue-in-cheek smile as he told her she had to figure the whole five-trigrams thing out on her own. All alone.

Which meant she didn’t get any help from Kurama, either.

She mulled over the sketches she had made of her seal, isolating the five trigrams and staring them own. There wasn’t much in the books in the way of this specific seal (it had probably been designed by Orochimaru, himself,) but there were traces of what made up the seal within the books. She was starting with that, outlining the similar aspects and complaining them in a way that's he understood.

She thought, maybe, she could come up with the key for the seal if she just managed to track down the last trigrams of the seal…

_ Knock knock. _

She blinked- she had not sensed the chakra approaching her door, but she did now, feeling the heavy set behind the door… whoever the hell it was, they had a  _ ton  _ of chakra- probably even more than her natural reserves… which was saying something. It was definitely nowhere close to Kurama’s reserves, but really, what was? 

She stood up, hesitant, dusting herself off. She could think of two scenarios- either she had been so absorbed in her work and so used to tuning out whoever was in the hallway of the Inn that she completely ignored the two people as they approached… or, the more dangerous option, they were shinobi highly skilled in hiding their presence. 

She approached the door cautiously, and felt the chakra signatures behind it shift at her presence… they knew she was there. She tore her hand away, considering.

They had to be dangerous, yes?

But… they weren't anyone she knew. She would have been able to recognize a powerful enemy like Orochimaru or Kabuto in a second… 

Who were they?

Curiosity got the better of her.

She opened the door. 

And…

One of them was a shark. Or, uh, a shark-man? Shark-person? 

The other… looked like Sasuke. Like,  _ a lot  _ like Sasuke. Expect he had heavy stress-lines running down along his mouth, and long hair pulled back in a ponytail.

They were both wearing matching cloaks, for some reason. Dark, midnight-black that seemed to absorb all the light around them, and red swirling clouds outlined with white. She felt a little sick, looking at them. Something tugged, deep in her heart. Was it… Kurama, trying to claw his way to the surface. 

She gulped.

Maybe opening the door wasn't a good idea… 

“Can I… help you?” She asked, staring at them suspiciously and closing the door slightly.

“Uzumaki Naruto?” The man who looked like Sasuke asked.

She stared at him- wait… was that…

She remembered him! She had met him a few times when she was younger- primarily whenever he would come to pick up Sasuke from the academy. They had only spoken a few times- like that one time she threw her juice box at Sasuke and then had to apologize to the two them- but she still remembers him! Cause he had wrinkles even when he was a teenager!

That was why he looked so much Sasuke… he was his brother!

“Uchiha Itachi?”

He blinked at her, looking shocked for a moment. 

“It _is_ you!” She cheered, opening the door more, “Oh, wait! You know I'm on Sasuke's team, right? Are you here because you want to gossip about your brother with me? because I'll let you know right here and now: I have some funny shit to tell you about him, and I really want to tell someone all about his embarrassing secrets!"  
Did she actually know any o Sasuke’s embarrassing secrets? Hm. 

_ He might have taken her on a date. _

She wouldn’t tell him that one.

“Come in, come in!” She said, grabbing Itachi’s hand and pulling him further into the hotel room- “I can make tea!”

“That's really… not necessary,” the shark-man said, sweating a little. Did sharks sweat? Or maybe he had just come in from a dip. Could he breathe underwater? Because if he could that would be _so cool._

“No, no, it’s fine!” she was already stumbling around in the small kitchenette, pouring water into the kettle and putting it on the stove.

She turned to look at the two of them… they were both standing around awkwardly. Why were they here, again? Oh, yeah, she didn't ask… she just saw Sasuke’s brother and got all excited.

“So-uh, y' know... I think you look really cool! Like- are you a shark-man or something!”  
The shark-man sputters at her, giving her an evil eye, “I…” Itachi elbowed him, “I guess I am, kid.”

She rocked on her heels, “that's super cool! My best friend is kind of like a fox-man, y’know. I think you’d like each other!” she grinned innocently.

They immediately looked even more uncomfortable.

“Naruto-san, that was what we were here to talk to you about…”  
“What’s your name?”

She felt eyes on the back of her head- oh, had Itachi been talking?  
“Kisame.”

“Is that your first or last name? Jiji always said it was rude to call people you don't know why their first name.”

“... You’re calling Itachi by his first name.”

She pouted, “Yeah, cause he's the bro of my friend. Plus, we kind of knew each other in Konoha!”

Kisame looked at Itachi, who gave him a tired look and a nod.

“See?” She grinned.

The fish-man still looked at her skeptically, “You're friends with Itachi-san? Then... ugh, I guess that just Kisame is fine…”

Why were they so awkward? It wasn’t like she was some weird… she was a little girl, for crying out loud. She knew they were dangerous (Akatsuki), but she knew the best way to avoid confrontation would be to act innocent. Eventually, Jiraiya would come and usher then away, or something. She just had to hold out... without summoning Kurama and destroying this entire town in the process. Wait, she couldn't. Fuck. Well, so long as these two men continued to play along with her charade then so would Naruto. he would have to figure out something in the meantime.

The kettle shrieked-she turned her back to them to grab it and start pouring out the tea- “All we have is green,” she commented, rummaging through the cupboards. They were all empty, of course, cause this was a hotel. She didn't even understand why they had those. Who would put groceries into their hotel room?

She felt their chakra spike- ready to attack. She smelled the danger in the air and turned back around to face them, teacups and kettle neatly arranged on a tray- she balanced it on one hand (Kisame looked nervous) and pointed at the small, almost pitiful looking table. 

“Sit,” she commanded.

They did.

She wanted to laugh. They were enemies, weren't they? She wasn’t oblivious to the strangeness of their precise or the dubious intentions that they surely had… she wasn't worried, she had…

Oh. Right. She  _ didn’t  _ have Kurama to back her up. Jiraiya hadn't released the seal yet, because he was intent on Naurot doing it herself. Good motivation, so he liked to say. She just thought he was being lazy, or covering up for something else- like not being able to release the seal, or not _wanting_ to.

But…

She felt something in chest harden- her resolve, maybe. She could fix her own problems, without him. Because… well, she’d have to, eventually. They  _ were  _ going to release the seal, after all.

Even if she didn't want to. She would make that sacrifice. For him. He deserved it.

He deserved it.

She served the tea and happily sat at the table, chakra only stirring slightly in her coils. The window was open. The door was left unlocked. There were escape routes. How fast could _they_ be? She had been training. She was faster than ever before. It would be fine. She had a level of confidence in her own abilities, Jinhcuuriki or otherwise. She was still only the rank of a Genin, but Naruto knew that she had far-since ascended that rank. Maybe she had never been Genin level, to begin with, considering her chakra reserves and Jinhcuuriki status.

These two were strong, and while Naruto didn't want to say she could beat them in a fight even dinvidually- there was a pretty big difference between beating them in a fight and running away.

Plus, she knew Itachi.

He had killed his family- but she knew him. She saw him, felt his chakra. She didn't think that it felt… malicious. In fact, she thought there was a warmness there, hidden away beneath a dusting of cold in a way that only a true sensor like herself could feel. Then there was the way that Sasuke so "subtly" talked about his brother. Sasuke still loved Itachi- Naurot wasn't book smart, but she was smart with emotions and with people. She could see that Sasuke was fighting with himself every day, locked in a war between loving and hating his older brother. And Naruto thought that anyone who could cause a love like that couldn't;t be fully evil.

Even if he was a literal demon she wouldn't be scared.

She smiled at him, as bright as she could. She could befriend demons: she could do this.

Plus, she really did think the shark-man was cool.

Neither of them drank the tea; she did, cause she liked tea and she was tired from a long day of work. She might have a nap after this… if y’know, they didn’t kill her, or something.

“So,” her cup clacked against the table as she set it down, “What did you say you wanted from me?”

“Well…” Kisame shuffled awkwardly and looked at Itachi, “this is, uh… well, you see...?”

_ Coward. _ So, he couldn't say it to her face: that they were here to rip out her Bijuu. That the second she had opened her hotel-room door that she had been condemned to death.

She smiled. He seemed even more nervous.

Ah, so they were here to do something bad.

“Naruto-san…” Itachi took a breath, “You… you are aware that you are the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, yes?”

Hm. Of course. Everything always seemed to loop back to Kurama. What was the world's obsession with him? Like, she knew that he was wicked cool, but like, only she knew that… cause only she cared to talk to him. Why did everyone else care about him, so much?! He was string... but he was an asshole! Nobody had ever been friends with Kurama before her, and so they didn't have any right to try and do anything to him!

“Yeah. What of it?”

“Well… we are employed by an organization, the Akatsuki, which has a vested interest in the Bijuu sealed within you.”

_ Akatsuki… huh? Roshi and Han had warned me about them. _

“Uh-huh,” she took another, long sip, “So? Spill it. Ya wanna use him as a weapon, huh? And you have to hurt me in order to do that.” It was a good thing that she had been warned about this beforehand and that she already knew what they wanted the second they knocked on her door. Or else she really would have been scared right about now.

She didn't bother trying to hide it. The inevitable was the inevitable, after all, and this was the only way she could face them head-on rather than trying to deal with sneak-attacks when Kurama was out of commission. She only hoped that Jiraiya would show up soon.

They both looked at each other.

Kisame stood up and grasped the hilt of his sword. She didn't move.

“I take it that's a yes.”

Kisame stared at her, noticing her lack of movement. He looked, again, to Itachi for help.

The Uchiha also stared at her. She felt her eyes gleam, even without Kurama’s chakra to assist her. They definitely weren't red, but they weren't the idea of any ordinary human, either. Her grin was sharp and almost as shark-like as Kisame's.

“And, how exactly do you plan to accomplish that, huh? Train me to do your bidding for you? Cause, y’know, I won’t. Not because I don’t want to betray Konoha, but because I don't want to betray Kyuubi.”

Her eyes fizzled.

And… was that the slightest bit of Kyuubi-chakra flooding her coils?

Maybe those rudimentary seal keys she had tested before had actually done something? Because, surely, her eyes were a deep crimson. By now, she was able to feel the change of colour as much as any other psychical change. Her cheeks burned, but it felt nice. And her nails began elongating in a way she was wholly used to.

The seal on Kurama was weakening. She just knew it.

“Or, if you plan on taking him out of me… which would kill me, just by the way. And then what? He's a _fuckig Bijuu,_ not some Chihuhuha that you can tote around in your purse. Are you just going to use your Sharingan to keep him contained? Huh? Or do you perchance have Senju Hashirama hidden away in your lair somewhere? Cause Kyuubi won't go down without a fight, and even when he's down he's not out. He’ll keep fighting you. Always. He has the chakra to do it. But you don’t- nobody has that kind of chakra to keep him contained and obeying every three seconds.”

The air of the room grew tense.

Ahe smiled, "Not to mention: time. The Kyuubi had bided his time for a chance to escape for fifty-some years-" obviously, she wasn't counting the time they had been friends, "And the average human can live, what, eighty years? Shinobi are even less. The Kyuubi can wait you out."

“What do you know?” Kisame asked, “You're just a kid.”

“A kid who knows more about Bijuu than you do-” that was her cue to stand up. Her eyes were definitely red now, and she relished the familiar feeling of bit's and pieces of Kurama's chakra sliding through her coils. It wasn't as much as she was used to- hell, this was fewer than he had been able to use when she was nine. But at least it was _something._ Even a weak Jinhcuuriki was stronger than normal humans.

“You don't know what we wish to do with them. Did you not consider that we Akatsuki are a better alternative to the villages?" Itachi asked, voice smooth and cold.

She crossed her arms, “I don’t need to. It’s all the same. I’m sure your boss is some power-greedy fuck who doesn't understand just what the hell he's messing with… either that, or he knows, and is just too lazy to try covert power some other way… or, y’know, just actually gain some power for himself.”

Kisame took a step forward, sword sharp and lumpy and dangerous looking. He was on the verge of attack- she must have struck a chord, somewhere. Maybe it was ‘power-hungry fuck’? That seemed to get people, sometimes.

“The fact of the matter is; you're lazy, and looking for a cheap way to gain power. You figure,  _ hey! Why don’t we just kill a little girl and enslave someone _ ?!”

“Enslave…” Itachi's eyes narrowed.

“Yeah. Cause Bijuu are kind of, y’know, people. Not humans, but **_people_**. They're as sentient as anyone else is- and Kurama is a better person than most of the humans I've met. Maybe you should try telling your boss that, cause he's gotta be an idiot to try this without knowing. But I guess anyone who could form an organization to hunt down demons has to be crazy enough to not care about silly things like morals."

Kisame grunted and started swinging his swords- “I think that's enough from you!”

The door slammed open.

“Naruto?!”

She turned, and now only her eyes widened as she mouthed his name.

_ Sasuke! _

Expect… a male voice said it. She whipped around, and for just a split second, she saw Itachi’s face have just as much surprise and awe as her own. It quickly morphed into indifference, but his chakra didn’t lie. He was anxious. Excited. Worried. Upset. Relieved. The whole dictionary of emotions flooded through him… but it was _warm_.

He…

He cared about Sasuke. She knew that, just from standing there, feeling that chakra. Because she had never felt that much genuine affection for  _ anyone  _ in her entire life. It struck her, so powerfully.

She didn’t know why-- maybe she was better at understanding people than she thought, or maybe she was just dumber than she thought… but, for some reason, she thought that Itachi wasn't a bad person.

Which is why it made no sense when Sasuke slammed into her and started pulling her away. His chakra was screeching inside him. The air was tinted with rage and fear and confusion and disgust and horror and- blood. Was he biting his lip? He growled, and she stared at him in awe. How could Itachi love Sasuke so much, but Sasuke hate IItachi so?

Well.

Sasuke was trying. He had once asked Naruto who one befriends their own monsters- and Naruto supposed that he had been staring Sasuke's monster in the face.

“You… invited them in for tea?! Are you an idiot?!”

“They… seemed nice,” she whined, “And Kisame-san is a shark-man! That's super cool! And…" she gestured vaguely in Itachi's direction, "And he's your brother! I wanted to get all the gossip on you, so Invited them inside," she huffed, crossing her arms.

At the mention of himself, Itachi stepped forward, “Little brother,” he greeted, “Let go of the Jinchuuriki.”

Sasuke’s grip only hardened. She cried out a little in pain and wormed around in the grip, but he didn't let go. 

“Sasuke!” she whined- "I knew what I was doing.”

His grip bruised her arm, “Yeah, ge tting yourself killed. That's what you were doing,” he hissed, and she felt the chakra in the air shift as his Sharingan activated- he looked right at his brother- “I finally start caring about new people, and… and you immediately try to kill them?!”

Huh?

_Caring_?

Despite the situation, she felt a little beam of light worm into her heart- then, the thought of their dubious ‘date’ wormed in afterwards and, well, she had to throw out the whole heart cause of it. Tainted meat, and all. And- this was rather quickly becoming a battlefield. She wasn't some weak Kunoichi that thought of romance during war!

“How foolish, little brother,” the older sniped, walking forward with a slow, confident gait as if he controlled the entire universe, “I thought I warned you to _hate_. Hate me. Hate everyone around you. Hate the entire world itself; as hate is the only means you have for survival. Caring for others is useless. Your love for this Jinhcuuriki will be the cause of your demise, brother."

Huh?

She squirmed some more- just what the hell was this guy talking about? But while Sasuke’s hand was clammy and sweaty, it was still a vice around her wrist, forcing her in place. She considered, for a second, breaking it. But she wouldn't willingly hurt a teammate like that- especially not when it seemed like the two of them were getting into a fight they couldn’t handle.

Where the hell was Jiraiya?

And, on that note, how did Sasuke get here? How did he know this was going to happen?

She swallowed, but her throat was still dry.

“I-” Sasuke hissed as Itachi moved closer-

“What the heck are you talking about?”

Itachi froze. She stared right at him- his Sharingan was activated, and her knees were quacking… but, she had been making eye contact with him for a while, and he hadn't done anything. She felt, almost…

No. That was crazy. Well, most things she thought of was crazy- but this?

Even the words seemed like too much, and she knew that, but still said them.

“You must be some kind of hypocrite or something. Hate the world? Hate you? Obviously you don’t want him to think that.”

Both Uchiha gave him a strange-ass look. She blinked. Had it really sounded that weird?  
“Why else would he be alive, if you didn't care about him?”

Sasuke whirled around and pulled at her arm, bending it a painful angel, “What do you know?”

She glared back at him, “I know more than you think I do!” She snapped back, “I befriend Kurama… and I befriended  _ you _ , for crying out loud! The most obnoxious, snooty, picky guy in the whole village! _The Ice Prince_! And Gaara, too… kind of! I think- I think I know a thing or two about crazies, about murderers, and about  **hate** , Sasuke. Cause, y’know, I have a  _ hate _ -demon in me, and the entire village  _ hates  _ me for it. And I used to  _ hate  _ them back. So, yeah, I do know a thing. And  _ that guy- _ ” she pointed right at Itachi, “Doesn’t scream  _ hate  _ to me.”

The air went stale.

“Fishy’s a little like that, too. He seems cool.” She then added.

Kisame grunted out a laugh,  “I kinda like this kid.”

She beamed at him, “I like you, too, fishy! Now... if only you didn't want to kill me! We could be friends!" Her smirk turned murderous, like a vixen in the hen house, "... Kisame-chan."

“That's too informal…” Kisame said, sweating.

Sasuke was tugging on her, again, but this time they actually moved., he started running, pulling her along outside of the hotel room and into the hallway. The two men in cloaks chased after them, and she hissed- they were in full-out battle mode! Great going, Sasuke! He's been here for five minutes, and he turned their nice-little tea party into a battlefield!

“I think everyone needs to calm down,” she said.

“I think you’ve said enough!” Sasuke hissed back at her, “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You  _ think  _ you do… but you don’t! You don’t know what it’s like! You don't know what he's done!”

She snorted, digging her feet into the ground and forcing him to stop- “Killing off the Uchiha clan, you mean? I’m the Jinchuuriki of the  _ Nine Tails,  _ Sasuke. Less insane, power-hungry Uchiha running around is a good thing. I've heard horror stories from Kurama... and Uchiha Maadara? I fucking hate-"

_ Slap. _

He cried out and stepped back, despite the fact that  _ he  _ was the one to hit  _ her _ . She didn’t even touch her cheek, despite the cackling pain blooming on her skin and the redness she could see in the corner of heer vision. It wasn't healing; Kurama wasn't able to reach her enough to do it.

“You… you’re just like everyone else, aren't you?”

She stood her ground, even as the two men caught up to them- they stopped for whatever reason. Probably because Itachi wanted to watch his brother’s drama. 

“I’d reason I’m quite a bit different than everyone else- cause, y’know, I’m sure creeps like Orochimaru are just drooling to get their hands on the elusive power of the Uchiha.”

Sasuke flinched.

“No. You're just like them. You only care about me because I’m an Uchiha!”

Wow, okay, that actually hurt. More than his girly-little slap did.

“Really, Sasuke?” She asked, unamused, “You think  _ I’m  _ that kind of person? The girl who has everyone and their brother-” she gestured to dumb and dumber behind them- “On my ass because I have a demon sealed in me? Do you think that _I'm_ power-hungry for the fucking Sharingan? The sight of those eyes makes me sick! They enslaved my best friend!"

Sasuke froze, looked at her, then hissed- “Whatever-” he was deflecting. He hadn't done that to her since… the academy. Had their relationship really dwindled in a few words that much, that they were at academy standards, now? She almost felt angry- but, really, all there was in that well was buckets of sadness. Hurt. Confusion. Anger was Hurt's bodyguard, after all- and she knew that the swelling anger in her chest was just to hide the pain in her heart. She didn't realize how close she had gotten to Sasuke until it was ripped away from her.

She was an idiot.

“Get out of my way.”

She didn't. Not because she was protecting the people trying to kill her- or whatever they wanted to do with her - but rather, she was protecting him. This was his Monster. And she would be damned to hell if she let him face his Monster alone. She had done that- and while she was all the better for it, she wouldn't let someone else struggle in that same way.

There was more than hatred. There was more than pain.

She was friendship. Caring. Compassion. Love

And she would teach Sasuke that those things were;t weakness, but rather **strength**.

“Naruto- move. Or I’ll tear right through you.”

She stared at him, long and hard, then, she turned around and looked at the two men, very clearly intent on taking them down. This time, she avoided Itachi’s eyes. She looked back to Sasuke-

“This isn’t a flight you can win.” Even if they worked together. This wasn't a fight they could win. Now without Kurama, at least.

“Watch me.”

Without Kurama’s chakra, she wasn’t as fast as she is used to- Sasuke dashed forward and shove her and she  _ slammed  _ hard against the wall, her already injured head taking the brunt of the hit. She cried out, but he didn’t stop.

His hand was covered in lightning- and he, he was moving forward, fast- too fast. His eyes were burning and blazing and bloody with  _ fuck, _ was that a third comma? When had he unlocked that?! The sight made her cringe, but also swell with pride.

Itachi knocked him down with a single hit. His eyes shifted and  _ blazed,  _ and if it weren't for the flex of Sasuke’s chakra, she wouldn’t have even known he had been attacked by the Sharingan since she was too busy covering her own eyes. He shifted, spinning slightly to kick his brother, slamming him into the wall right next to her.

“Attacking your teammates to get to me, Sasuke?” Itachi’s face was deliberately neutral, but Naruto felt something in his tone, something she couldn't quite grasp - “Perhaps you really are taking my advice,” he turned to Kisame, “Grab the Jinchuuriki. I’ll deal with my brother.”

Sasuke wasn't getting up. Two hits. All it took was two hits. Half a year of training and fighting and overcoming foe after foe- and Sasuke was down in two hits. She gasped, pupils, shrinking in horror as she couldn't rip her eyes away from his crumpled, beaten form.

This guy… 

His emotions didn’t match his actions.

She didn't know why- but he seems almost… sad. Like that had been as painful to Itachi as it had been to Sasuke.

“Like hell you will,” she moved, forcing burning limbs and sluggish brain cells to move as she shifted herself overtop of Sasuke- “You don’t want this. I know you don’t.”

“You don’t know anything about me. Us. I heard you before- and you obviously don't know anything about my brother and I, or anything at all about the Uchiha clan. Stop meddling in things that don't concern you, Jinhcuuriki.” He corrected.

She snarled, “Didn't you just hear me? I know about hatred. I know you don ’t have it, and I know Sasuke doesn’t want to hold it for you.”

The man stilled.

“We’re teammates, so, naturally we talk. A lot. I’m friends with a demon, so I have experience… so, he asks me things. Cryptically. But that doesn't mean I haven't figured it out- that he's talking about  _ you _ .”

The world stilled, she looked down at Sasuke.

“... He loves you.”

She looked back up and saw the Sharingan spinning to black. There was nothing she could do. Naruto could only be happy that she went down trying to protect her most precious teammate.

Then the wall exploded.

* * *

Jiraiya had no idea what the fuck was happening.

Or, well, he knew the Akatsuki were finally on the move- and, for some reason, starting at the top. But, when he stepped into the hallway, he didn't expect to see a shocked-looking (or, as shocked as someone so emotionless can be,) Uchiha and an idle Hoshigaki Kisame. Nor, did he expect to see the second-living Uchiha crumpled on the floor with a sweating Naruto standing over him. 

What the hell did she think she was doing… talking to them? The kid couldn't even use Kyuubi-chakra right now, and she was picking fights with S-class nin?!

He let out a battle cry as she summoned a toad, and the two of them rushed forward. He jumped, moving towards the two helpless Genin as the Shark-looking one spat out a stream of water. Jiraiya dashed under the stream and threw several knives in his direction while summoning a toad to deal with Itachi and Jiriya enough time to grab both kids by the scruff of their shirts. Naruto, of course, came away kicking and flailing. The boy was scarily limp in his grip.

“Pervy sage!” she said after a second, realizing just who it was that had stormed through the literal walls of the hotel, “Took you long enough!”

“He okay?” he asked, gesturing to the unconscious Uchiha.

“Uh, Itachi used his Sharingan on him. I don’t know what he did, but Sasuke just… collapsed.”

His mouth formed a thin line- he could think of a few possible outcomes to that; a normal genjutsu, a sleep-techie, or… Ultimate Tsukinomi. The worst of the three, and also… the most likely, given how the two Uchiha brothers tended to… treat each other.

He dodged a blow from Kisame, and instead focusing on getting the two kids out of there and allowing his summons to hold them off. The toad lept, spawning boiling oil, slicking the ground and making chase difficult as much as it did burn. Jiraiya was making good time, moving towards the exit-

A sword embedded itself into the wall right beside his head hissed, skidding to a stop. If it were just him, then he'd hold a good chance of winning… but with a Kyuubi-less Naruto and an unconscious Uchiha to protect? The odds were quickly being stacked against him.

Kisame was coming up fast, ready to retrieve his sword and continue the fight, Jiraiya didn't have a hand to spare. He dodged to the side, thinking quickly- should he summon another toad? One larger, this time, able to conquer the two and give him the much-needed space to retreat? How many other patrons were there in the hotel, that he risked killing? 

He didn't have to make the decision. Fate, it seemed, seemed keen on giving him a hand, as Mito Guy came leaping to action, fighting off Kisame breezily as Jiraiya swept to the side.

“Get those kids to safety,” the man said with a wink, “Konoha’s Blue Beast can handle the rest from here!”

Jiraiya scoffed but kept moving.

Naruto started flailing- “Hey! Don’t go assuming I need protection!” She hissed, making his life all the more difficult.

Kami- why was it he always got stuck with the troublesome shinobi? Why couldn't he ever get a cute, quiet little genin like that Sakura kid? Then again, the girl did have a temper and two wild-cards hanging by her sides… huh, actually, he thought that any and all Kunoichi were though to deal with. Tsunade was another prime example. Maybe he should just give up on Kunoichi and get with a civilian girl?

“Naruto, those are both S-rank missing-nin. Even I would have trouble dealing with them.”

“Then…” she struggled, pulling at his arm- lord, he thought she’d start biting him, soon, “Why are you just leaving Guy-sensei like that?!”

“Kid-”  
“Kaka-sensei taught me… that those who abandon the rules are trash, but those who abandon their friends are worse than trash!”

He had heard that phrase many times… but, not only form Kakashi. Jiraiya winced.

“I’m doing this not to abandon  _ you _ , kid.”

“By running away?”

Jiraiya stopped. He looked down at the girl, who now held a cocky expression. She knew exactly how well her words were working.

“The Uchiha-”

“Will be fine. Itachi wasn’t going to kill him.”  
“You... are aware of what he did, yes? To the entire Uchiha clan?"

She nodded. “He left Sasuke alive,” she said seriously, "I don't think that was any kind of mistake. Itachi left Sasuke alive for a reason. Twice, now: if he wanted to kill Sasuke then he would have already. And me, too."

Jiraiya’s heart stopped. He… had never thought of it, that way.

He didn’t think Sasuke had ever thought of it that way, either. 

“We can't just leave him here,” Jiraiya said, again.

“We can leave one of your summons with him. It’ll be fine.”

“... Fine.”

  
  


A toad grumpily stood watch over Sasuke as the two of them moved back into the battle-

“Wait, kid.”

“Yeah?”

His hand was already slamming into her stomach- she grunted out in pain and nearly passed out, but managed to keep herself just barely conscious as she rolled on the floor. Suddenly, the pain was gone, and the eustachian chased out quickly after it.

**_“Kit, glad to see you didn't get yourself killed.”_ **

Her eyes widened- did he just-?  
Jiraiya smirked, “Give ‘em hell.”

* * *

Naruto entered the battle with a newly revived sense of confidence- Kurama’s chakra and presence bubbling under her skin, giving her a silent push of support. She stepped forward, ready to release as much chakra as she _fucking wanted to_. Jiraiya had basically told her to go ahead and summon the Kyuubi, she thought with a wicked sense of satisfaction.

Itachi had been pursuing them while Kisame was occupied by Guy-sensei.

“Just cause I like ya, I’m going to give you a chance to leave,” she winked, smirking at Itachi.

He stared at her impassively, Sharingan swirling. She took careful care to avoid directly locking with those eyes.

“You’ve unlocked the Kyuubi’s chakra.”  
“That I have.”  
“That will not change the outcome of this battle,” Itachi said- “I shall give you the opportunity to surrender.”

She ripped off her jacket and took a fighting stance, slick acid already building up in a thin layer above her skin. She only needed to get one direct hit on his skin, then it would be over.

Sasuke would probably get mad if she killed his brother… if only because he wants to kill Itachi himself.

**_“Do it.”_ **

_ “Calm your Uchiha-hate for just a second. It’s more complicated than that.” _

**_“It really isn’t. He's here to kill us, and I say we return the favour.”_ **

She huffed.

Itachi also took a fighting stance- Jiraiya came up behind her, ready.

“I suppose I should have expected that response.”

“You really should have.”

She was shooting forward, hands outstretched and ready to nab him- only she passed completely through him, his body dispersing into a murder of crows the second her hands went to grasp his cloak.

“What-?”

She skidded on her heels, turning behind to see… he wasn't there. Jiraiya had her back.

Crap- the  _ front- _

She flew back, her cheek indenting on itself as the bottom of Itachi’s shoe slammed against her. Jiraiya caught her by the arm and swung- shooting her forward as if she were a kunai. She took the opportunity to lash out, throwing a Bijuu-dama which exploded half of the hallway, allowing the cool breeze of the outside world float into their battlefield.

Itachi skipped out of the way, but his pace was uneven. As Naruto landed she turned to see him nonchalantly toeing off one of his sandals. The thing was already half-corroded, and melting even further as he kicked it off.

“You’ve covered yourself in a thin layer of Kyuubi-chakra… interesting,” Itachi committed, eyes swirling and stinging over her skin as he analyzed her. She hissed at him.

“I can do a lot more than that!”

She went to attack, but Jiraiya was standing in her way, taking the offensive.

She heard Guy-sensei shout, and suddenly Kisame was moving towards them. She dodged the flow of the massive sword, blue felt it…  _ cut through her chakra? _

Kisame’s eyes widened before he smirked- “It likes the taste of your chakra. Bijuu must be some kind fo gourmet shit."

She looked at him, shocked and disgusted- “Your s _ word  _ ate my  _ chakra _ ?!”

Kisame sassily posed, sword slung over his shoulder lazily, “Yeah.”

“That's… so cool!” She must have had stars in her eyes. Definitely. 

He stepped back, shocked. She grinned- “lemme see it!”

He wobbled away as she made to grab for his sword- he tried to swing it down on her, but Guy-sensei’s foot was slamming against it, and… damn, how did he not get cut from doing that?!

“Naruto-chan, I appreciate your curiosity of youth… but perhaps this is not the best time!”

“But nobody in Konoha is this cool!” She whined.

Guy-sensei looked offended- “I am the Great Blue Beast of Konoha!”

“All you do is kick stuff… he's a shark man with a shark-sword!”

Kisame gave Guy a cocky look and a shark-like grin. 

And the battle continued.

Naruto kind of felt helpless- both Guy-sensei and Pervy Sage had their back to her, stopping both opponents from getting any closer to her. “I’m not helpless,” she mumbled, thinking.

Maybe it was time to…

**_“I wouldn’t recommend it, kit.”_ **

She hissed, pulling at her hair. _"_ _ J ust what the hell am I supposed to do, then?” _

Kurama smirked.  **_“Summon your tails. Show them that Jinchuuriki are not to be taken lightly. Especially not mine."_ **

_"Heh, you show off."_ She smirked, stretching, feeling the chakra pull and twisted and float outside of her as three swishing tails formed at her back. She could see Kisame, over Guy-sensei’s shoulder, gape at her.

She shot forward, two tails taking the hit and blocking his sword while the other balanced her, allowing her to bring both of her feet up and plant them on his chest, pushing. He flung backwards, momentarily stunned, and she moved to grab his sword-

He was quick, for such a big guy. She hissed and had to turn away mid-air, tails acting as extra limbs, increasing her speed and agility.

“Naruto?!”

She turned and gave Guy-sensei a cheeky look, “I don’t like being pushed to the sidelines! They’re after Kyuubi, right?” She turned to face Kisame, grin growing dark, “Then I’ll give them a taste of Kyuubi.”  
She engaged him in taijutsu, tails acting as her shield for his sword while her other four limbs attacked mercilessly- kicking, punching, lashing out. She managed to claw his face good with her Kyuub0enetded nails, before ducking under her all while wrapping a tail around the base of the two, pulling it from his grasp. It clattered to the floor behind him, and without it, Kisame lost his edge.

“Uh, Itachi- we got a situation!”

The Uchiha managed to pull himself away from his own fight with Jiraiya just in time to see her stretching out her back, fiddling with her chakra as she summoned a fourth tail. It was a lot; she had never attempted it before- but Kurama was willing and the chakra was there. She could just… learn how to control four separate limbs on the job, right?

She’d have to work up to nine eventually, anyways.

Itachi’s eyes narrowed- “We weren’t briefed on this. She shouldn' have even known about the Kyuubi, much less have this much conscious control over it,” he said, talking over all of them and to Kisame- "Retreat.”  
“What, are you a scaredy-cat?”

Itachi smirked at him- Jiraiya tried to lung him, but his body did that weird crow-thing again, exporting until there was nothing left. They all turned to put their attention on Kisame, but the larger man was also gone. 

Naruto huffed. Her tails wormed, chakra popping-the fourth-one was only half-formed, but thrashing beyond her will and slamming against her head. The chakra dropped and drained from her body and she landed face-first on the floor.

Maybe the fourth tail wasn't such a good idea…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone can't tell, Kisame is my favourite Akatsuki member. LOve me that shark man <3
> 
> also  
> I don't want anyone getting mad at me because 'Itachi could have wrecked Naruto 10000000000x over'. My dudes, he was going easy on her;;;


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought the original authors note at the start of this chapter was funny so I'm putting it in:  
> Honestly, this chapter is such a hunky chunky thiccc boy that it could probably be split up into two chapters, but since I’m lazy and I don't really wanna fish through it to find that place, here you go. 8600 words. Or something like that- I’m also too lazy to redo the word count to find the exact number.  
> Pro hide and seek; try find where i wrote this drunk (hint, I’m a little drunk writing this right now)  
> Also this chapter took me like 3 weeks to write lmao but that's also because I wrote it during exam week so maybe that's why I’m always drunk. I drink to forget all the useless course material after I finish an exam y’know.  
> Okay i'll stop.

Sasuke wasn't waking up. 

She tried shaking him again- but Pervy Sage grabbed her shoulder and shook his head. 

“There isn't much we can do, at this point.”

This point?

But…

He had been passed out for three days now! What if he… didn’t wake up, or something? A coma! Or- or brain damage! 

“What did Itachi do to him?”

Jiraiya frowned, “A powerful technique. One that shatters the minds of weak men.”

Naruto gulped, “Well… Sasuke isn’t weak,” she said, more reassuring herself than the two adults.

Guy-sensei had been coming and going, but this time, he frowned when he entered.

“It’s time to bring him home,” he said, moving towards Sasuke-

She rushed forward, blocking the man’s path to her teammate, “And what are they going to do there that we can't do here?! We need to help him _now,_ and I don't think moving him will do that!"

Jiraiya grabbed her shoulder, again, tearing her back. She sidestepped, but didn't manage to pull herself from his grasp, “There's a hospital, Naruto. And people who have been trained to deal with this. They can help him.”  
“No- whatever Itachi did… they can’t help him! Me and you both know that!”

Jiraiya didn't deny it, “But Tsunade can.”

Tsunade…

Wasn't that the person they were looking for, in the first place? What had Jiraiya said about him, again? That… she was some kind of famous medic. Then… maybe… maybe she really would be able to help.

“Really? You think so?”

“If there's anyone who would be able to help, it would be her.”

So… even she wasn't a guarantee. But- she was the best hope they had.

“... Okay. How do we find her?”

* * *

Jiraiya had a spy-network, apparently. And, apparently, one of those spies had infiltrated a group of debt-collectors- specifically the ones that were after Tsunade… who, apparently, had a massive debt due to her terrible gambling addict. Terrible, as in she was terrible at gambling.

So, here they were, pretending to be debt collectors. 

It would have been cool if it weren’t for how pressing the situation was. 

They followed her to some rinky-dink town in the middle of nowhere. There was pretty much nothing but some crappy inn (that Tsunade had to be staying at since it was the only one in town) and some restaurants and pubs. 

Jiraiya was off galavanting away- though he claimed to be gathering information.

Naruto was doing the real spy work. _She_ should be Konoha's spymaster and not some pervert who got distracted by any woman alive.

She started with the innkeeper, who wasn't very fond of giving out ‘personal information’ to ‘obvious shinobi’ and ‘endangering his patrons’, or whatever. That was a bust- bu from the look on his face, Naruto knew that Tsunade was at least staying at the hotel.

Not many people were since this was such a rinky town. So, really, if she knocked on enough doors, she’d have to come across her eventually. 

The only problem? She didn’t know what Tsunade looked like.

Oh, um, she also didn’t know if Tsunade was currently  _ inside  _ her room. They could be out in the town, at one of the bars gambling. Then again, that was Jiraiya’s job.

She knocked on the first door. No answer. Either with the second or third- and the fourth was her and Jiraiya’s room (yes, they shared a room. Yes, Naruto threatened bloody murder, should the man try anything. After her display against Kisame, Jiraiya was starting to realize she wasn't joking.)

Then, lucky number five.  
Or…

“What do you want?” an old man asked, gruff, smoke floating from his mouth to attack her face. She scrunched up her nose and swatted it away- and made the mistake of looking down.

_ Unlucky. _

The stupid old creep was in his underwear!

“Dirty old man!” She hissed, slamming the door in his face. Who the hell answered the door in their underwear like that?! At _least_ put on some pants.

Huffing, she walked over to the next door. No answer. Door seven was the next to open-

A lady blew smoke in her face- she coughed. What was it with people and smoking in this inn? 

“Hmm? Unexpected, but I suppose it will do,” the woman said, looking her over.

Naruto coughed, staring at the woman. She was wearing a loose, so-thin-it-was-see-through Kimono, with her hair messily pulled up in a bun. She held an elegant, yet cheap-looking pipe in her hands. It smelled different from the one the old man had been smoking- probably a different (illegal) drug.

“Huh?”

The woman raised an eyebrow, “Are you not the one I am… meeting with?”

Oh hell no. Was he- was she insinuating that Naurot would order a prostitute?! She was saving herself, thank you very much!

“No way, lady! I’m a kid!”

The woman shrugged, “You have a hitai-ate, do you not? I've been with Shinobi younger than you, girl. If you're old enough to kill then you're old enough to-"

Naruto gagged and slammed the door. Again.

How many more creepos would she come across, before it was Tsunade? Oh god, was Tsunade _also_ a creeper?

The next few people were boring, at least. A father and son. A lone traveller. She asked, but none of them particularly responsive when she asked for  _ Tsunade,  _ not in a way that would say they were lying about not being her.

She groaned- there weren't many rooms left! She knew she had to run into Tsunade soon, or… she was one of the people who didn’t answer. Which would make her have to go back around to every room and try again... with a bit more force, this time. She grinned evilly at the thought but quickly lost that motivation.

She sighed and brought her hand up to yet another door. Her knuckles rapped against it.

“Yes?”

It was a pretty-looking woman with short black hair… and… a pig, hanging out at her feet.

Naruto looked at the piggy and smiled- but it hissed at her. Could pigs even hiss?! What was this?! She felt absolutely offended by the damn thing... she always thought that she was pretty good with animals, dammit. Then again, most of her experience was with Kurama, who barely even classified. He was more human than he was a fox, even if he looked like one.

He laughed loudly like that and hit her mental-body over the head with a tail. Oh, yeah, he didn't like being called an animal or human, Grow up, Kurama.

“Tonton!” The woman scolded, pushing the pig further into the room with her foot, “Sorry about that. She usually doesn't react to strangers, like that.”

“Uh, yeah,” Naruto scratched the back of her head, “It’s fine.”

“So…?”

“So?”

The woman gave her a look of almost-annoyance, and Naruto blinked. Oh!! Right!

“Sorry- um, I’m looking for someone named  _ Tsunade. _ ”

The woman blinked. Then, for once, Naruto was the one having a door slammed in her face. It was so suddenly that it slammed against her nose with a  _ crack,  _ she stumbled back, dazed, hand automatically coming up to her nose to try and stop the river of blood flowing from it.

“Lady Tsunade-!” she heard from behind the door before it was thrown open.

A hand grabbed the front of her jacket and Naruto yelped. She tried to escape- but there was  _ much  _ too much strength hidden in the arm of that young woman. She was pulled in, the door slamming shut behind her just as her back slammed against it.

She coughed.

“What, are your bosses so cruel they’re sending  _ children  _ after me?”

Naruto blinked- “Huh?”

“The debt collectors! You were sent by them, weren’t you?! They thought by sending a child, I’d let my guard down, huh?”

“N-no!” Naruto fumbled, pointing up at her hitai-ate, “I’m, uh, a Konoha shinobi! I came here with the Pervy Sage to find someone named Tsunade!”

“Konoha?” the black-haired woman gasped, hugging the little pig tight.

“Konoha,” the blonde woman repeated as if it left a stale taste on her tongue, “They sent some little twerp to get me?”

Her cheeks puffed out- “twerp? I’m a shinobi! A feared shinobi!”

“You’re, like, ten!”

“Twelve!” She shot back, " _Almost_ thirteen." In a few months, that was.

“Same thing.”

“Heh? You can't be much older than me, lady!”

The black-haired woman laughed. The blonde one sent her a look but then smiled at Naruto.

“A good eye you have, there. Guess you can't be all bad, huh?” She smirked, dropping her. Naruto rubbed her ass after she fell on it. “So, spill it. Why were you sent here?”

Naruto stood, staring at the two of them, “Uh, I don’t think I should just go around telling people that.”

The blonde woman threw back her head and laughed, “you’re not the sharpest kunai in the set, are ya?”

“Huh?” she was completely lost, here.

“This…” the black-haired-lady cleared her throat, “Is Lady Tsunade Senju, Sannin of Konoha.”

Naruto blanched, pointing dramatically at the blonde lady- “You’re Tsunade?! But- she's supposed to be an old hag!”

That same too-strong first whacked against the back of her skull, slamming her to the ground, Naruto groaned and rolled, and oh, looks like her nosebleed was back.

“I liked you better thirty seconds ago, kid,” Tsunade huffed, throwing a ponytail over her shoulder, “But yeah, I’m Tsunade.”

“How are you so…” Naruto stared at her chest- then to her wrinkle-free face, “Young looking?”

“I don't go around sharing my techniques easily,” Tsunade sniffed.

“Guess that makes sense.”

“So? Aren't you going to say what you need me for?’

Naruto pushed herself to sit cross-legged, humming, “Ah, I’m the Pervy Sage’s student- er, Jiraiya’s We came here to bring you back to Konoha.”

“Jiraiya, eh? What's that pervert want, bringing me back to Konoha?” Tsunade sat back and pulled out a random jar of sake, and took a big swig.

“We need a new Hokage.”

She promptly sat the sake all over the black-haired lady, who whined and ran out of the room.

“What?!”

“Er- well, there was this invasion, and… well, Jiji… uh,  _ the Third  _ got caught up in a fight with that Orochi-freak guy-” Tsunade's brow knitted and her mouth gaped by Naruto had no idea exactly at  _ what _ , considering the number of shocking things she had just said, “He's… not dead! Uh, in the hospital. But even if he gets better… he's old and hurt and can't be the Hokage, anymore!”

“So you were sent to get me as his replacement, huh?” The woman was suddenly sober, taking a small sip of her drink, “I’m assuming Jiraiya turned down the position.”

Naruto nodded, “it would interfere with his…  _ research, _ ” her nose crinkled.

Tsunade let out a bitter laugh, “That is the excuse he would use, isn't it?”

Naruto snorted, “Perv that he is.”

“And you’re… his student?” Tsunade suddenly asked, looking highly skeptical.

Naruto felt a vein on her forehead throb- not at Tsunade's question, but at how easily she would accuse Jiraiya of such a thing- cause, y’know, that only solidified how realistic her original fears of being the man’s student were.

“If he did anything to me…” she chuckled darkly- maybe that was Kurama’s influence, since he too, was giving out a menacing, low chuckle, “He wouldn’t be alive long enough to regret it.”

Tsunade laughed at that.

“You’re not too bad, girl.”

“Yeah, I know,” she flicked a pigtail over her shoulder, grinning. 

“I take it back,” Tsunade snipped, groaning as she stood up. “And, by the way, I refuse.”

“Huh?”

“I don’t wanna become Hokage,” Tsunade sharply quipped, bring up the bottle of sake to take a huge swig, “So unless you have something else to tell me, you can leave.”

“But…!”

“No buts! Get out!”

“But- but-” Naruto dodged as one of those hands reached out to throw her out of the room, “Who's gonna be Hokage?”

“I dunno, one of those crappy elders or something.”

“But… they all suck!” Naruto protested, "If we let them be in charge then who knows what will happen to Konoha?"

“I didn’t ask you,” Tsunade snapped, staring her down- “Why don't you leave, already?! Can you hear me? Get out of here, brat!"

Naruto crossed her arms and sat down, resolute, “I’m not leaving till you agree to at least come back to Konoha with me!”

“Why would I even bother? I refuse to become Hokage!”

“Well,” Naruto suddenly remembered another reason why she was here, and sniffed, “Because… Hokage-Jiji! He… he's in the hospital! And- and! They don’t know how to help him… but you’re… you’re strong and smart. Sasuke- too! They can't help him! So you… you need to heal them!”

Tsunade stared at her, wide-eyed. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“We need your help!” Naruto whined, eyes flashing, “There are people in the village that need you… and… you call yourself a Konoha shinobi, right? One of the Konoha Sannin?”

The woman bristled, “I guess.”

“Then… don’t you have a duty to help Konoha? If not- I don't understand why you even uphold the illusion that you're still loyal to Konoha. In my mind, you're nothing but a deserter."

Not that Naruto had any place to judge her on that. Her thoughts of running to Kumo and forgetting all her problems were increasing by the day. Kurama, too, was becoming insistent that Konoha meany nothing but bad news.

...

But, despite that, Naruto couldn't find herself willing to leave. It wasn't for the sake of Konoha, but rather the people who lived there. Kakashi, Sasuke, Sakura, Hinata, Iruka, Jiriya... her precious people.

She stilled, took a long, long drink of her sake, and stared at Naruto.

“... Guilting me won’t work. I don't ever want to go back to that place.”

“Why?”

Tsunade took another swig- “too many lives have been ruined by that place. Too many friends have been lost.”

“You…” she blinked, “You don’t want to go back… because Konoha has made you lose people?”

Tsunade nodded. “Everyone I ever loved. It's like that damned city is cursed."

“But…” Naruto sniffled- and od dammit, her eyes were stinging! They weren't!

She thought of Sasuke.

Suddenly her eyes  _ weren’t  _ stinging. They were wet.

“Then… think about it, all the more people that will be lost in that village, because you refuse to help. I… Uchiha Sasuke is someone really important to me,” her nose crinkled, “He sucks, but… he's important to me. One of my best friends. One of the few people to ever accept me… and, because of me, he's… he's no waking up. And there's nothing I can do about it, expect come here and look for you. There's nothing I can do…” her hands tightening into a fist, pulling at the thin black material of her pants. She hissed but refused to wipe away the tears. 

“I just want to help him. I’ve failed everyone that's important to me- and he… I just… I need to help. Just once. I need to do something right.”

Kurama brushed up against her. She mentally blocked him out.

She looked up, meeting Tsunade's eyes dead-on, “The world sucks, I know. But… I think, maybe, if we all try our hardest… we can make it suck a little less.”

Tsunade took a swig of sake.

“I think so, too.”

They left the hotel to look for Jiraiya together.

* * *

Orochi-freak showed up. Of course, he did. Naruto should have expected it; you can't have the two good sannin without the one nasty one showing his face, could you?

Jiraiya had summoned this huge-ass toad, and Tsunade a slug. Orochi-freak, of course, had summoned a snake. That just left Naruto and Kabuto, standing awkwardly on the battlefield like children.

“Such a shame,” Orochi-freak muttered, though it was loud enough for her sensitive ears to pick up- especially since the man was addressing him, “I had so much hope in your, little, Jinchuuriki. I thought maybe, with all your mastery of the Kyuubi, would you even be able to summon him. Such a shame. Maybe I should focus on more interesting projects, after all. Like that little Uhciha of yours."

This fucking asshole. But, she wouldn't let her anger get the best of her- not this time.

She smirked- because she totally could summon him. But would she? It would feel fucking fantastic to be able to, to show this guy that she wasn’t some weak kid, nor some weapon to be taken advantage of; she was strong. Kurama was strong. And they worked  _ together _ . 

And if she summoned him, she could prove that.

But, on the other hand, that would reveal just the extent of her and Kurama’s relationship… she was just barely cruising along under the claim that Kurama’s chakra was leaking to her through the seal… but if she summoned him, and actively showcased her friendship with him… that would obviously be a lie. 

Kabuto made the decision for her- launching himself to attack, eyeglasses gleaming and a smirk on his face.

Naruto dodged the knife-hand, but her jacket was still ripped and her arm cut, for some reason. It was only a second after she sensed it that she actually saw it, the dull green glow of chakra encasing his hands.

“Kukuku, don't play too rough, Kabuto. I still want to experiment with her. I'm interested in seeing how Kyuubu chakra has changed her chakra coils~ they seem s _o interesting_ , kukuku."

“Of course Lord Orochimaru,” Kabuto replied, bowing to his master, “It shouldn't be too hard for me to subdue a weak little girl. Her only real power is controlling the beast, anyways.”

**_“Kit.”_ **

Kurama’s chakra flooded the seal-s he actually has to shove some of it down, lest she partially transforms in front of Jiraiya…

Oh. Right. She had already done that.

“What are you trying to say?” Naruto growled- she could feel her eyes shift from blue to red and Kurama contained unleashing his chakra.

“You’re good with your weapon. I can acknowledge that. But, using the power of the Kyuubi doesn't make  _ you  _ strong,” Kabuto lazily said, preparing more chakra-scalpel, “You don’t have true skill, like me. Nor knowledge, like Lord Orochimaru. You're nothing but a glorified exploding tag. Honestly, I don't understand why Jinhcuuriki are allowed free will at all. It's the human element in Jinhcuuriki that makes them all failures as weapons."

She bit her lip.

_ How did he figure it out… the thing she most hated herself for? _

It felt like someone was stabbing her in the chest. The pain felt so real, so much so that Nartio had to look down with her own eyes and see that it wasn't.

**_“Kit,”_ ** Kurama urged, again, scratching the walls of the seal annoyingly,  **_“Summon me.”_ **

_ “Are you stupid, Kurama?! I can't do that-” _

**_“Do it. I want to rip this filthy human to shreds.”_ **

Kabuto said something else. She couldn't hear it over the humming-bird beating of her heart.

**_“Kit.”_ **

She could feel it, Kurama’s anger. Why was he so _angry_?

Then again, why was she so upset?

Well, she actually knew the answer to that. Because everything kabuto was saying was true- and all three of them knew that. She was nothing without Kurama. She was weak. She couldn't defend herself, without him. She couldn’t live without him. 

But…

She bit her thumb- a little too hard judging from how it started  _ gushing  _ blood, but Kurama didn't heal it. She would need all of it… since y’know, summoning Kurama wasn't like summoning any ordinary… summon. This was a fucking Bijuu that she was about to unleash. And, well, he lived inside her- so she was kind of just summoning a mass of his chakra that he took control of, rather than his actual body.

“Fine,” she hissed, staring down Kabuto with as much of glare as she could mystery.

Se rubbed the bloody thumb across her palm in a thick line, the smacked her two hands together to coat them both in blood.

“If you want Kyuubi so badly… then I’ll give you Kyuubi.”

Absently, she noticed the fighting of the other summons had stopped. All eyes were on her.

“Summoning-”

She shoved her hands to the ground with as much strength as she could possibly muster. 

“ _ Justu _ !”

Smoke puffed in a massive storm, as large as a ten-story building. It encased the battlefield, and out of it, sprang Kurama; chakra, coating the air in a thick, heavy paste. It burned at her skin in a way she found comforting… familiar. It wouldn't harm her.

“Oh, right, Kurama… the toad and the slug are on our side. So don't kill them, kay?"

**“Yeah, yeah,”** Kurama was, appearing as the mist settled. He gave her a cocky look,  **“Nothing I can do if they caught in the cross-fire.”**

She put her hand on her hips, watching as his tails swayed lazily- Kabuto took a stumbling step back, away from her, “uh, maybe you could actually watch what you're doing?”

Giant, fuzzy fingers swooped down and plucked her up by the scruff of her jacket- she heard Jiraiya and Tsunade swear, but she didn't know exactly at what. Kurama was nice! She swore!

**“Don’t test me, kit.”**

“Don’t make me… un-summon you! You’re only here because that stupid Orochi-freak laughed at me for not being able to summon you!” she stuck her tongue out at a dazed-looking Orochi-freak. 

Kurama’s ears flickered, and he also turned to give the man a cocky look,  **“so, this is the worm who wants to use me as a weapon?”**

She scoffed, wriggling in his hold, “I’m sure pretty sure everyone wants to use you as a weapon.”

Kurama let out a low, dark chuckle that really said he wasn't all too amused by the topic. He dropped her unceremoniously on the top of his head, **“Not you, kit.”**

She laughed and patted his head sweetly, “You’re here, fighting for me, ain't ya?”

He flicked her. She would have been blown off his head altogether if she didn't catch his ear at the last second. (Though, his ear  _ did  _ flick to in front of her flight path, so maybe the softy had actually saved her? She wouldn't doubt it for a second- Kurama was nice, like that.)

He trie dot flick her again, she expertly dodged.

“Kurama!” She whined, digging her fingers into his fur and lightly scratching (a bit she had picked up whenever he was in touching-distance of her), “It’s not me who you’re supposed to be fighting!”

**“You sure, kit? Because I don’t see anyone more annoying than you.”**

“Ummmm,” she hummed obnoxiously loud, making  _ sure  _ everyone else could hear it. Kurama winced. “Have you ever  _ seen  _ Orochi-freak?”

The fox made a big show of looking over to said-freak, and snorted,  **“True.”**

The fox moved faster than light, claws shooting forward to slam against the snake, nearly knocking Orochimaru off of the thing entirely. Naruto smirked on the outside but felt a wave of nausea hit her. Kurama suddenly stilled with his ears flickering. Right- he could feel everything that happened to her.

**“Kit?”**

“It’s fine. Just keep going,” she said, sitting on the fox’s head and using chakra to glue herself down. Then, she looked over her shoulder at her still stunned teacher and future-Hokage, “What are you two staring at? You actually gonna help, or what?”

That threw Jiraiya out of his shovel, and the man smirked as his toad leapt forward, “I thought maybe you had outdone yourself at the inn, kid, but this…?” he let out a weak laugh, “Not even Kushina could do this.”

Kurama snorted. Naruto stared down Jiraiya.

“Who… is Kushina?”

A pained expression went over Jiraiya’s and the toad's faces. She looked behind her to see Tsunade making a similar expression.

**“Don’t worry about it, kit,”** Kurama suddenly said-  **“We have a fight to win.”**

She snorted and crossed her arms, “As if we’d lose.”

Two boss summons and a Bijuu against a stupid little snake? It was pretty much impossible for them to lose!

Orochimaru was running with his tail between his legs before long. Kurama, done with being gawked at by the ‘stupid humans’ puffed out of existence, leaving Naruto hurtling towards the ground. She faintly recognized Jiraiya catching her, but the chakra drain from summoning Kurama was catching up a little too fast, and she was snoring before long.

* * *

She awoke in Konoha’s hospital.

She blinked, rising slightly in the bed. There were several chakra sources that she recognized, milling about in the hospital. There was one she didn’t recognize, hidden away in the ceiling tiles. Was that… an ANBU? Spying on her?

The events of the Orochi-freak came flooding back to her.

Ah, right, she literally summoned and openly cooperate with a demon. That would warrant somebody stalking her. Just… were they good, or bad? Because she was almost sure that those freaky old dudes on the council had it out for her, and they would be able to control the ANBU, right?  
The door opened and she swung her head around to look at tad too fast. She grabbed it and groaned.

“Hn, dobe,” the person - obviously Sasuke - said, feet tapping lightly as they walked over, “have you really never felt chakra exhaustion, before?”

She groaned and rubbed at her eyes tiredly, “Kurama’s always been there to give me more when I ran out.”

Sasuke chuckled lightly as he pulled up a chair.

“Does everyone know?” she asked.

“Know what?”

“That I… me and Kurama… that is,” she bit her lip.

“No. Not that I know of. At least, me and Sakura weren't told, and I doubt they’d tell anyone less important than us.”  
“Less important, huh?” she raised her head, a smile broaching her face, “What are you trying to say?”

Sasuke sniffed, scowling, “That if they were to tell anyone, it would be the people who rein contact with you the most… your teammates. Y'know, the people who might be put in danger because of it."

She shuffled on the bed, feeling claustrophobic, “They probably told all those old farts on the council.”

Sasuke grinned, “Probably. What can they do, though? Without invoking Kyuubi’s wrath?”

She allowed herself to laugh, “Not much.” Kurama occasionally acted like an overprotective father. Or… maybe mother? hah, she would love to see Kurama as a chick!

Kurama snorted.

She waved him away. Not the time, Kura.

“So… is everything okay?” she suddenly asked, face heating up. Why was she suddenly so awkward? This was Sasuke! Kind of assholes and duck-hair-styles! “I mean, like, with your brother...and waking up.”

“Dobe,” he huffed,m reaching out to poke her forehead. She groaned and rubbed the spot, smacking his hands away, “you’re the one you should, worry about, You’ve been unconscious for days.”

“Yeah, well, summoning Bijuu, it turns out, isn’t a walk in the park,” she sniffed.

He smirked, “I would bet not.”

Silence enveloped the room. Naruto pushed herself up and swung her feet off the side of the bed- Sasuke made a move to stop her from getting up, and honestly, she was too tired for that fight so she just sat there, leaning back on her hands and awkwardly swinging her feet.

“... you avoided my question.”

Sasuke didn't say anything. She looked up to see him cutting the peel off an apple… with a kunai.

“That's not sanitary.”

“I've never used it.”

Still, wasn't sanitary- but since when did Naruto ever care about that? It wasn't like she could get sick very easily. This was perhaps the first time in her life that he had ever been in a hospital for a reason other than injury.

“Again, you didn’t answer my question.”

He dug a little too deep into the apple, and it’s juice flowed down his fingers like a trail of blood. “... What do you want me to say?” 

She stared at him for a long while. He didn’t seem to be getting it.

“The truth.”

He flipped the apple and cut it into equal-sized pieces, stabbed one of the kunai, and handed t to her. She ate it right off the knife.

“Itachi…” Sasuke seemed to be struggling to find the right words. Naruto hissed.

“Isn't as bad as you think.”

“You don't know that. You don’t know anything.”

She placed the kunai on the bed and crossed her arms, “I thought we already had this conversation at the inn.”

“Right before we were attacked!”

“Because you started running!”

He pulled out a new kunai (this one looked used- marred and scarred yet bloodless and sharp. Was he mocking her?) and stabbed another slice of apple. He didn’t eat it. She huffed.

“You have no right to ask me about this.”

“Then who does?” She bit back, “What, Sasuke? Are you just going to keep brooding on this for the rest of your life, huh? What the fuck are you doing?! Just bottling everything up?! Ignoring it till it rears its ugly head?!”

“I’m going to kill Itachi and avenge my clan!” he shouted, standing up. The plate for the apple crashed against the floor and started- a little piece of it flung out and stabbed Naruto in the leg- she made no move to do anything about it.

“Is that what you want, Sasuke? Is that really what you want?”  
“How do you know what I want or not?!” He hissed at her, Sharingan suddenly activated. She flinched, but despite all her insects, she didn't look away from the glaring red eyes. She felt her grow red in retaliation. Her pupils slit.

(She suddenly noticed that the ANBU wasn't there anymore. When had he left?)

“I don't know… because you won't tell me! Yo act all high and mighty like you’re cooler than everyone else and like yo have no problems… but you do! You have problems, Sasuke! You just refuse to talk about them! You refuse to let me  _ help you. _ ”

He growled, “Is that what you think you’re doing, Naruto? Helping me?”

“It’s better than acting like you’re not hurt. Were friends, Sasuke-!”

“Since when?”

She was suddenly standing, hands balled into fists, “Since… I don’t know! At some point we were strangers, then enemies, then rivals... and then we became a team, and, I don't know! We just became friends, jackass. What I do know, is that I trusted you enough to tell you about Kurama! And what I also know was that if weren't friends then you wouldn't be talking to me right now, would you?"

He let out a bitter laugh, “Yeah, I guess you did tell me about Kurama. What, so now you think you deserve to let me tell you about Itachi, then, huh? I didn’t ask you to share your baggage with me, Naruto.”

“ _Your_ _baggage_ showed up at my hotel room and tried to kidnap me. Whether you like it or not, I've been dragged into this."

Sasuke went silent. Maybe it was the calmness in his he said it or the truth, or... she didn't know, but she could tell those last words stung. She reached out to touch him but pulled her hand back. He didn't want to be comforted. They hadn't quite gotten over what had gone down at the hotel... 

But…

Well, comforting other people seemed like all she was doing, nowadays.

She didn't ever want anyone to feel the way that she used to feel- like nobody cared. Like they were alone. She would make sure; nobody around her would ever feel alone.

“You… Sasuke, this isn’t my pale to say, but, well,” she balled up her fists, letting out a small, quiet, humourless laugh, “But since when has that ever stopped me?” she looked up- Sasuke’s eyes were black, and hers were blue. The chakra in the air seemed to settle, slightly. “I think you survived the Uchiha Massacre for a reason. And, even if there wasn't a reason… you’re _alive_ , Sasuke. You survived. And… I don’t think… that you should waste that life, chasing after the dead.”  
He stared at her for a second that felt like an eternity, then looked away.

“I’m glad you woke up,” he said in a quiet voice, moving towards the door.

“I’m glad you did, too,” she replied, watching as he closed the door. 

As soon as he did, she sighed and leaned back, collapsing on the bed. She didn't know how long she stayed like that- maybe minutes, maybe hours - but she was brought back to reality when she heard a soft knock on her door.

She waited for the door to open. When it didn’t, she sat up, puzzled. Who did she know that wouldn't just barge in like they owned the place?

“Come in.”

Ah.

Hyuuga Hinata peeked in through the cracked-open door, a small, sheepish smile on her face.

“N-Naruto-chan” she greeted, opening the door a little wider. Naruto could see a cute little fruits basket tucked in her elbow, “I… um… thought I would visit.”

She stepped inside and Naruto saw the shadow of another person enter through the door.

“I was coming in at the same time, so we thought we would see you together. Hope you don't mind,” Sasuke smiled brightly, before it dropped a little, “I, uh, didn’t bring you anything. Sorry.”

Naruto crossed her legs, sitting comfortably on the bed, “that's fine! I’m just happy to see my two best girlfriends!”

Sakura grinned and pulled up a chair- behind her, Hinata’s face went red as she placed the fruits basket on Naruto’s bedside table.

Naruto blinked- why was she… oh.  _ Oh _ . 

Kurama was laughing,  **_“You should think before you speak, kit.”_ **

_ “Shut up, stupid fox.” _

Kurama retreated further into the seal, bru she could see hear the echoes of his laughter. Stupid fox, indeed. She wanted to sock him!

“Uh,” she coughed, “What's that you got there?”

“O-oh, um, well,” Hinata stammered, fidgeting in place, “When I heard you were sick from chakra depletion… I thought some fruit would h-help you regain your strength.”

Naruto perked up, “Oh, like vitamins, and stuff!”

Come to think of it, Sasuke had brought her an apple. Did he think the same thing that Hinata did?

Hinata walked over and sheepishly held out the basket- Naruto picked out a ripe-looking plum, happily biting in as soon as she got a good hold of it.

“It's like we're having a little picnic,” she laughed.

Hinata grabbed a plum and Sakura an apple. They ate in silent contentment for a moment. Then, the sound of ceramic screeching against the cheap flooring rang through the quiet room.

“Huh, what's this?” Sakura asked, leaning down. She picked up a sharp, broken piece of the plate, studying it curiously.

Naruto laughed, scratching the back of her head, “Uh, I kind of broke a plate earlier. But then I fell asleep, and I didn’t really get a chance to clean it up.”

Why did she lie?

Honestly, she didn't have an answer to that.

“Naruto!” Sakura groaned, “How irresponsible! What if somebody got hurt?”

“But nobody did!” Naruto argued back, letting out a haughty breath and leaning back on her bed, “You can't expect me to be running around cleaning stuff… I’m sick!” he gestured wildly to the hospital room around them, and felt a sick satisfaction as Sakura sighed.

“You just have chakra exhaustion,” Sakura shot back, getting up from her chair and waltzing into the bathroom- she came back holding a broom and dustpan, “I guess I’ll clean up your mess like I always do,”

“Nu-uh!” Naruto was about to shoot herself out of bed to clean it up, just out of principle, but Hinata placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“I-I’ll help,” she quietly said, standing up to grab the dustpan, “You should rest, Naruto-chan. Eat some more fruit.”

She honestly felt bad about not helping… she did! But, she couldn't argue when Hinata was giving her that kind-but-strict look… like the timid girl would scold her for not taking care of herself. Which was a really ‘Hinata-thing’ to do, now that she thought about it.

“So… what happened? When I was south, I mean. Cause, like, I don’t really remember anything.”

Sakura put down the broom and sighed, falling into her seat, “Well… that lady, Tsunade-sama, that you brought back… she was coronated as the Fifth Hokage.”

Naruto leaned back, not entirely surprised, “that's good to hear. I think she’ll make a good leader.”

“She is!” Sakura suddenly seemed excited, a big, goofy grin on her face and stars in her eyes, “she's a really strong medic! She came to the hospital and cured Sasuke really fast! She tried to help you, too, but when she gave you some chakra supplements your body… recited them,” Sakura said- eyes shifting over to Hinata. Ah, so she guessed Kurama had something to do with it.

_ “Did you?” _

Kurama let out a small snort of air, huffing. Pouting! He was pouting!

**_“And let foreign chakra come into your system?”_ **

_ “Wow, possessive, much?” _

He faded even further back into the seal- probably sulking. So, she had been exactly right, eh? Kurama was so easy to read, sometimes. Naruto decided to let sleeping-foxes lie.

“Anything else?”

Sakura shrugged, “nothing super important… Lee-san was up and moving, last I saw him. Sasuke and Kakashi were doing some training… um… I think, mostly Konoha’s been calm.”

Naruto grinned, “Good to hear that there are no more giant snakes trying to bust him!”

Sakura laughed.

“So…” She turned to Hinata, looking at her expectantly, "What's new? I mean, like, with you guys?”

Hinata fiddled with her hands, “u-um, just… training. Failing at the Chunin exams…” she balled up her fists and gave Naruto a look of pure  _ determination,  _ “it made me want to get stronger! So that I can protect everyone!”

Naruto gave her the biggest grin she could muster, “That's great, Hinata-chan! We’ll have to train together, sometime!”

Hinata gave her a fierce look and an excited nod.

Naruto's eyes slid over to Sakura- who honestly looked a little stunned. Ah, right, she had probably never seen Hinata look so fierce before. She may be shy around some people… but inside, Naruto knew she was a fierce warrior with a heart of gold. She was proud of Hinata… she had come a long way, from the scared little girl she had found eating lunch alone at the back of the academy.

“And you, Sakura?”

Sakura had a similar expression to Hinata on her face, and she gave Naruto a nod, “I… actually, I was thinking of asking Tsunade-sama to help train me. Kakashi-sensei had always said I could have a talent for medical-Jutsu… just… uh…” she scratched her cheek, “I’m, um, a little nervous to ask her.”

Naruto blinked, “You’re one of the fiercest girls I know!”

Sakura blushed, “Well, you think that…! T-that's, only because you’re always being dumb! But… Tsunade-sama is the Hokage, now!”

“And you’re a member of Team Kakashi! Hold your head up, Sakura!” she gave her a thumbs up, “If she didn’t take you as a student, then she’d be an idiot!”

Just then, they all heard a throat clear from behind them. Sakura’s eyes popped open wide and Naruto looked up, face growing pale.

“Uh, Tsunade-baa-chan…”

“Who Are you calling an old lady?!” Tsunade asked, crossing her arms.

Naruto shook, “y-you wouldn't hurt an injured person, would you?!”

Tsunade stepped in, right eye twitching, “You’re awake, aren't you? Can't be that sick,” she cracked her knuckles, “And especially after what I saw the other day? I think you’ll come out just fine. I could always patch you up if you don’t.”  
“H-Hinata-chan, Sakura-chan, protect me!”

Hinata blushed and Sakura gave her a look that promised death.

Tsunade suddenly looked far less murderous and far judgier as she stepped inside, eyeing Sakura, “So, you want to be my apprentice, eh?”

Sakura’s face went white, but Naruto is impressed at how she was standing her ground. She gave Tsunade a firm nod. “I have good chakra control, and… well, I want to learn something that will be useful to my comrades! I already have a bit of experience with basic medical supplies, and I'm eager to learn more."

Tsunade smirked, “That's a fine motivation. I guess I’ll just have to test how good your chakra control really is- only then will I consider you.”

“O-of course.”

Tsunade's eyes flickered over to Hinata and she raised her chin, “And you? What do you want?”

“O-oh, um, well, I already work with herbs to make medicine… but, um, I’m just here to visit Naruto-chan!” Hinata bowed, “Pardon the intrusion, Hokage-sama!”

Tsunade chuckled lightly, “No need to be afraid. Hinata, was it?”

Hinata nodded.

“Send me a sample of your medicine. We’ll see if you’re any good, and if you are I'll give you a try..”

Hinata nodded again, her face red.

“Now that that's settled…” Tsunade turned to Naruto, “Good to see you’re up, brat. Me and Jiraiya need to talk to you-” she motioned towards the door, where Jiraiya was just suddenly standing (sometimes, she forgot that he was also a ninja, along with being a pervert-), “if you two wouldn't mind.”

“Of course, Hokage-sama,” Sakura and Hinata seemed to say in unison, sheepishly leaving the room. Hinata sent her a small look of encouragement over her shoulder.

Jiraiya closed the door on his way in. Naruto gulped, shuffling on the bed awkwardly.

“I’m assuming this has to do with… Kurama.”  
“Is that his name?” Jiraiya asked- honestly shocking her a little. She felt sick. “You were addressing him like that, earlier.”

Naruto nodded. He remembered his name. He was calling him a  _ he,  _ not  _ it  _ or a  _ thing _ . That was good. That was better, actually than how Sakura and Sasuke addressed Kurama. They just kind of… acted like he wasn't there unless they really needed to.

…

(She was gonna have to talk to them about that. She couldn't have them disrespecting her best friend like that. Maybe she could set up a playdate… heh, that would be fun.)

“Naruto…” Tsunade sighed and sat down on the bed, “We’re happy if you’re happy… but, well, you can understand why we would be worried about this, yes?”

She nodded, “Kurama attacked the village, a long time ago.”

Jiraiya stared at her with this weird expression, “you’re saying that lie it doesn't matter.”

“Cause it wasn't his fault.”

They stared at her, expecting her to continue. She crossed her arms and pouted.

“I think, maybe, you should try and reach out to him without a reason to. That what I did. I accepted him, even knowing what he did. And only then did he tell me what happened- and I’m glad, that I took that leap of faith.”

Jiraiya rubbed his eyes, “You realize you're telling us to take a leap of faith in a demon, right?”

She stared at him seriously, “It worked for me. Worked for Gaara, too. He was supposed to go on a rampage in Konoha…” she rocked on the bed, anxious jitters from what  _ could have been,  _ “That was Sand’s big plan for the invasion, to use Gaara as a weapon. I showed him kindness, and he decided not to attack.”

“It’s not always that simple.”

She grinned, “Simple has always worked for me.”

“You…” Tsunade's brows pinched, “Naruto, how long exactly, have you known…  _ Kurama,  _ that's what you said his name was, right?”

She nodded.

“You make it sound like the two of you have been… I don’t know what to call it-”

“Friends,” Naruto insisted. MIght as well come out with the full story- she was pretty much busted, anyways.

_ Thanks to Kurama and his rashness. She shouldn't; have listened to him.  _

**_“Kit, listening to me is probably one of the few reasons why you’re still alive.”_ **

_ “Why don’t you go sulk in your corner again?” _

Kurama laughed but shuffled away.

Tsunade sighed, “Friends. How long have you been  _ friends  _ with him?”

She shrugged, giving them both a guilty grin.

“Naruto…” Jiraiya sighed, “since before you became my student, right?”

Her grin grew wider.

“Before the Chunin exams?”

Wider.

“Before the  _ Genin exam _ ?”

She laughed- it sounded fake.

“Since I was… seven? Or, maybe eight? Or… maybe six? I actually don't remember. It was, uh, a long time ago.”

“Seven?” Tsunade gasped, “You’ve been in contact with the Kyuubi no kitsune since you were  _ seven _ ?”

“Yeah,” she scratched the back of her head, “Why is that such a big deal? I mean, yeah, he didn't like me at first, but he warmed up real fast… and now he's my best friend!”

“What… what about those two girls that were here before- Sakura and Hinata?”

“What about the Uchiha?” Jiraiya asked, suspiciously.

She shrugged, “Kurama was the first person to ever really… be nice to me. Everybody in Konoha hates me for being a Jinchuuriki… and so they told all their kids to avoid me, cause I was an evil demon-” she barked out a laugh, “It’s kinda ironic, isn’t it? That the actual demons been way nicer to me than most humans.”

“But…” Jiraiya seemed to be struggling with what to say- but his eyes hardened and he must have evolved to just  _ say it-  _ “Naruto, has the Kyuubi, Kurama, sorry, ever asked you to.. Release the seal?”

She flinched.

“I… um, well yeah. But, like, I mean, I wouldn't want to be locked up in a cage for years and years, neither, so… but… I just wanna help. Of course, I don’t want to just… let him go- like, that's why I wanted to learn sealing!”

Jiraiya seemed to have forgotten that fact. Tsunade's head whipped around so fast that one of her pigtails slapped Naruto in the face.

“You’ve been teaching her sealing?!”

Pervy-Sage put up his hands, sweating, “I thought… you know who her parents are!”

“Who  _ are  _ my parents?”

They both turned to her- it looked like they had forgotten she was there. Jiraiya gawked, sweating even more, “Uhh…”

She snorted, “There's something you just have in common with Kurama; he doesn't want to tell me about my parents, either-” she laughed, but it was a cold, bitter thing, “What? Were they such bad people that it’s a disgrace to even say their names?”

“N-no!” the Pervy-Sage actually looked genuinely upset, “Your parents were actually great people! It’s just… your father had made a lot of enemies. We don’t want to tell you, in fear that it would endanger you.

“Endanger me how?” she scoffed, “What? Do you think I’m just going to go around blabbing it? In case you haven’t noticed, I've hidden the fact that I’m friends with the  _ Kyuubi no Kitsune _ for  _ six years.  _ If I can hide that, I can hide pretty much anything.”

Tsunade signs, “She has a point, Jiraiya.”

Jiraiya looked at her sadly, “Do you… really want to know?”

Naruto shifted. Did she? Ever since becoming friends with Kurama… well, she had found him, made him into her family. There was still, and always would be, an emptiness in her heart where her parents would be- but the rest of her heart wasn't empty. Not anymore. She had Kurama and Hinata and Sakura and Sasuke and Kaka-sensei and Pervy-Sage, and she guessed she had Tsunade now, too. 

She was making her own family.

And ever since she started making it, she stopped longing to find her parents. She still wanted to know who they were… but it wasn’t something so integral to who she was, anymore.

It was like that scar had started healing.

But…

“Yeah, I do,” she said softly. By the look on the two Sannin’s faces- a little too calmly. “I mean,” she felt like she had to do something… to make them feel she wasn't crazy, “I… ever since I befriended Kurama, and everyone else… well, I’m not alone, anymore. But, yeah, I still kinda wanna know. Especially if it’s something that could put me in danger, later.”

Jiraiya gave her a small smile and sat himself down on the bed next to Tsunade. There was an exhausted aura to him as he leaned back on his hands, but his eyes had a soft fondness in them as he searched through his memories.

Did he know her parents? He must have. They both must have.

“Your father was a student of mine. He was a brilliant kid, hield was a genius- even more than that sensei of yours. Even though I was his teacher… he never really  _ learned  _ from me. The kid was too smart for that. But, even though he was skilled as a shinobi, he had a soft heart. He cared for everyone around him like they were his family. And, well,” Jiraiya chucked.

“He was a bit of a wuss,” Tsunade finished for him, a small smile on her own face, “He got scared a little too easily for how good a fighter he was.”

“Hey, says the medic who's afraid of blood,” Jiraiya poked her with his elbow, before looking over to Naruto, “You have his hair and eyes… but your mother's personality.”

Naruto blinked, “My mom?”

“Uzumaki Kushina. She's where you get your name from, actually. And… she was the previous Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune-” Kurama flinched, deep inside the seal. She couldn't tell whether or not it was because he liked her mom, “Though she had a much different relationship with the Kyuubi. She was… well, violent, to say than last. She was known as the Red Habanero- since Uzumaki’s typically have bright red hair and a personality to match. Like your father, deep down, she was a caring soul. Perhaps not as gentle- she cared about her precious people in a very similar way to you, Naruto.”

Naruto bushed.

“Wait… what was Dad’s name?” It felt a little foreign, that word… Dad.

Was Kurama her Dad? Not like, by blood... but he was the closest thing she had to a Father. He was the first male role model she had in her life, and he had always taken care of her in a way someone would their child. Naut and Kurama already considered each other family, if only without an actual title. But... 

The demon laughed- nah, he was more like… a weird uncle… or crazy brother. Ouch. Itachi. Well, Itachi wasn't all that bad, so maybe Kurama really was like him. 

**_“Watch it.”_ **

_ “Kay. Weird uncle it is.” _

She couldn't tell if he hated that more.

“That's the difficult thing,” Jiraiya took control of the conversation, again, “your dad… well, he was Namikaze Minato.”

Naruto blinked- she knew that name. That… it was so familiar.

She looked out her window, unconsciously searching… the Hokage Monument caught her eye. Specifically, the last face to be put up there.

“The… Fourth Hokage?!”

Jiraiya grinned, but it held a sadness to it, “Yeah, kid. Your dad was the Fourth.”

That…

“That would explain the… _enemies_.”

Her parents were the previous Jinchuuriki,  _ and  _ the guy who sealed him away. Naruto could see why Kurama would hold a grudge. 

**_“I wouldn’t specifically call it a grudge. More like... innate hatred."_ **

****That wasn't any better. But Naruto would let it slide- she could understand

“Yeah. He, uh, gained himself quite the reputation during the Third War.”

She had heard some of the stories back in her academy days, that the Fourth Hokage had killed hundreds in the span of only a few minutes. That he could literally teleport, leaving behind nothing but a yellow streak of his hair as he passed by- which was why people often called him the Yellow Flash. 

She had always thought they were exaggerated, making one of their leaders seem better than they were (she knew from Kurama’s stories that Hashirama and Madara weren’t as good as everyone claimed them to be,) but… looking at Jiraiya's face, somebody who actually know him, the man who trained him…

Well, she couldn't bring herself to believe he was lying to her.

“Okay,” she turned and kicked her feet off the bed.

“Okay? That's all you have to say?”

“What else is there  _ to  _ say?” she replied, “my parents… sounded like great people. And, well, that's great. But they’re dead. I can never meet them. They can never meet me again. I dunno…” she kept kicking her feet, distracting herself, “I think I should worry myself more with… the right now.”

“The right now, huh?” Jiraiya asked, rubbing his chin.

“Yeah,” she breezily replied, trying to make light of how nervous she really was- “um, about Kurama… I’m not in trouble, am I? I mean, I know I probably should have told someone… but! But he's not dangerous! I can promise you that. He… really, if anything, Kurama’s done a lot to actually  _ help  _ Konoha. The Kyuubi attack- it wasn't his fault. He's a victim, as much as me or my parents or anybody else is.”

“Okay, okay, kid, we believe you,” Jiraiya sighed, “But… you know what, it’s fine. You’ve done what your mother couldn't. What pretty much  _ every  _ Jinchuuriki couldn’t. You managed to befriend a Bijuu. I’m proud of you.”

She grinned, “Really?”

“Really.”

“Y’know, ‘m not the only one. Gaara and B and Yugito have all befriended their Bijuu, too. And probably some of the others, but I haven't met all of them.”

Jiraiya looked sick, “You’ve… been talking to the other Jinchuuriki?”

She laughed, “Well, with the Akatsuki slinking around… were all warning each other.”

Speaking of which… she had to tell the others about her run-in with Itachi and Kisame.   
“Well…” Jiraiya sighed, “The Akatsuki is a problem for another day. For now, we have to worry about Konoha.”

“Konoha?” she asked.

Tsunade took her turn to sigh, “the council. They asked for a report, and well, rumours from that town we were in started reaching Konoha… we told them about you, summoning the Kyuubi.”

Her throat clenched.

The council? Those old farts… clan heads… who else? Anyone important? Her mind couldn’t remember- she had been to a few council meetings with Jiji when she was younger Something about her being the only remaining Uzumaki… but she had always known it was because she was the Jinchuuriki… 

Gah! They were too boring! She had turned everything out!

“What happened?” She finally brought herself to ask.

“Well…” Jiraiya rubbed his chin, “Quite a few of the clan's heads were actually okay with it… since, well, you’re friends with their children. The civilian representatives were upset… but, well,” he shrugged and laughed, “When aren’t they?”

“True,” Tsunade groaned, “One of the main reasons I didn’t want to become Hokage. Don't worry, I’m still the primary person in charge- and with a few clan heads also agreeing not to take any action against you, everything will be fine.”

“But,” she wriggled, frowning, “That's not everyone, is it?’

“Ah…” Jiraiya also groaned, looking a little uneasy, himself, “Well, naturally… there are those who were impressed by your show during the Chunin Exams… then, hearing this… well, they’ve taken an interest in you.”

“ _Interest_ ,” she repeated, spitting out the word. She knew exactly what the meant. “Who?”

“Danzo, an old war hawk always looking for more power. Interestingly, the two elders agreed with him when he suggested putting you into ANBU-” ANBU? Was he kidding? She was only a Genin! “And then there was the Hyuuga.”

“Hyuuga?” Hinata immediately came to mind.

“Don’t worry about it,” Tsunade said, standing up, “He's intelligent enough to know he can't stand up against the Hokage. I can deal with him.”

She started moving to the door, “At least Fugaku isn't here… that would be a nightmare."

Naruto frowned, she didn't think he was supposed to hear that. Fugaku. Wasn't that Sasuke's Dad? Naruto shivered- she was glad that there were no Uchiha sniffing around her, too.

“So… what's going to happen?”

Jiraiya shrugged, “Start doing missions with your genin team, again. Or, well, since you and Sasuke are still fresh out the hospital, you’ll probably have another week or two of rest before becoming an active squad, again. Keep practicing with those sealing patterns I gave you, and if you have any questions,” he groaned, “You can probably find me in the Hokage Tower.”

She hopped off the bed and watched him leave, “Kay, pervy-sensei.”

Jiraiya sighed as she closed the door. He seemed tired. Well… who wasn't?

At least they’d be getting a break. Naruto had a few things to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really didn't feel like writing that fight scene. I'm sure you can imagine how quick they would trounce Orochimaru.  
> ...


End file.
